


Simikiel - The Story of The "True" Overwatch

by Hypokrisis



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Aliens, Angels, Cyborgs, F/F, F/M, Fall of Overwatch, Gen, Multiverse, Mystical Creatures, Omnic Crisis, Omnics, Overwatch References, Post-Fall of Overwatch, Post-Omnic Crisis, Pre-Fall of Overwatch, Pre-Omnic Crisis, Robots, Spirits, Supernatural Elements, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-25 11:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 40,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14377269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hypokrisis/pseuds/Hypokrisis
Summary: Nothing starts, where everything ends.For me, it all started, when I heard about pops, working on a new project to save the world. Don't worry, it sounds way more exciting than you may think. Finally, those geniuses over at the government figured out that it'd be much less of a PR-issue to utilize drones and machines instead of real people to fight on their fronts. I heard stories of heroes. Of course, they were only living up to the myths and theories on them... Whereas I... I dealt with facts.Fact is, I worked my behind off, just to get a chance to go where my father is, right now: The Titan, home of the technology of the next decade! And first I thought, it would be the perfect opportunity to jumpstart into the adult life... until it ended up being the worst day of my life...Let's say, things got pretty explosive, I lost my body, and I had to get a new one... And it worked... well, with... minor exceptions. The new gear suited me. And I was soon to be ready to become one of those new "heroes" everyone was talking about...!But then, I opened my eyes. I saw the truth. I saw what you might want to call, the "ugly" truth. This is where everything starts.





	1. Rebirth

_06 - 18 - 2040 / CLASSIFIED_

 

#  **_  
_****_“Rebirth”_**

  
?: **Humanity is a failure. The machines, they have created, represent their faultiness. But who am I to judge, you may ask? "What" am I to judge? I am neither human, nor machine. I have exceeded those who attempted to play god by giving "life" to a hollow clockwork. However, this wasn't the first time, I've done so... not the second, not the third... It's just "rinse and repeat". Who am I? Who are you to care? If you haven't heard of me before, I am none of your business, until your end shall be near. Am I justice? For who? Myself? Am I the delinquent who would bring crisis upon you? It would be wrong to let you suffer without knowing the truth behind all myths and conspiracies. I was not born a sadist. But sometimes, you’ve got to approach the psychic in quite a physical manner.**

  
_Someone approaches from the black void, kneeling down in front of a bowl. He sticks his fingers into the bowl, as the red liquid drips from his fingers. Chanting can be heard from the distance, as it gets louder. He draws something onto his face, with the blood that was in the bowl. A bow on his forehead, split from a circle. And two lines, down the sides of his nose, along his cheek. A young boy, wrapped in a white coat with lava red and black accents, opens his eyes, fitting the red tone of his clothes._

  
?: **I've been there before. So often... Yet, it still hits me, everytime. As if I had forgotten... but I haven't. I never will.**

  
_He drowns his face in a sink of water, as the black color of his hair decided to fade off, showing a rather silver color. He rises up again, as another boy, looking similar to the previous one, wipes his face with the water from the sink. He grabs his jacket, along with his backpack, and leaves the house to take the tram to his father's workplace. Enter Eden Marx. A 17-year old miracle, already graduating from a top-notch university. He is planning to study mechanics, in order to assist him with his projects, as he seems to show a lot of interest in his plans. Yet, he never really got to see what Marcus Marx, his father, was working on for the past half of a decade. His response was always the same: "Gotta keep it secret for now. I can't just spill the beans like that." But Eden was not the kind of boy to be satisfied with such answers. So he did his own research, even if it required him to go deeper into the rabbit hole. At one point, he actually stumbled upon a hidden forum by hacking himself into the governmental network. He was aware, that he would end up in prison, if anyone ever found out. Fortunately for Eden, he was a multitalent, even though hacking was not his specialty. So he remained under the radar, whilst gathering information about a new revolutionary project, going by the name of "Project Overwatch". An army of robotic soldiers, living up to the project's name - They were supposed to watch over Earth. Whatever they meant by that, or how they defined "watching over", was not clear. What was clear however, was that Eden became more and more curious about what this may have been about. Aside from robots and mechanics, Eden also shows quite an interest in mankind's philosophy. He believes that humanity is going the wrong way. Instead of it progressing, it appears to go backwards, becoming inane with time passing by. It relies on technology, until it probably devolved back into the neanderthals, or even worthless bacteria as the rest of this planet. But this has nothing to do with his temper, or his usual mood. He usually remains neutral and still succeeds to find himself coping with his surroundings. Reaching his destination, he exits the tram and approaches a black sedan. He puts his hand into the pocket to get the pass which he got from his dad. They open the door for him to enter the car._

  
?: **Ever since I was young, I was wondering about one thing, actually... If we could create... we could destroy, as well. But what if the creation will destroy its own creator? What if it transcends? If a robot went rogue... was it the robot's fault? But who made the robot in the first place? Humans. Mere humans, trying to create a new replacement for a lifeform. A socializing computer that would interact with its creator, his friends, and their friends, as well. They believed, they could harmonize with an artificial personality. A personality with its primary purpose to be free of individual evolution, decision and communication of any way. But in the end, they're just toys of less value than humanity itself - even though, they were created as a reflection of mankind. There is always a majority, oppressing the minority to maintain the status quo. Who am I kidding? Humanity is "always" right, after all. They don't do mistakes. And if they do, they'll wipe them under the rug, like they never happened. Until you trip on said rug. And then, you fall.**

  
_As the young student looks out of the tinted window, he notices just how remote they are from the city. Nothing but an odd-shaped facility. As if they were manufacturing something specific there. Whether those are weapons or just simple parts for certain machines, this was yet to be answered. Driving through a highly secured gateway, the car approaches the entrance, driving right through. They are entering the heart of the facility. The "Titan". This is where scientists, robomechanics and programmers from across the world, come together to work on a new set of high-end robotics - far ahead of what everyone else would believe to be the future of tomorrow. This was the future of another century, if not, a whole millennium. The car would come to a stop when two men approach the door, wearing laboratory robes. One of which, was Dr. John-Yannick Rieger, a dedicated man of the Titan's very elite. The other, was Eden's father, Marcus. The young boy would exit the car, wearing a slight smirk on his face._

  
Marcus: **If that's not my future successor!**

  
Eden: **Forget it. I'll be your partner, before you're going into retirement. I won't keep you waiting, dad.**

  
Marcus: **Oh, really? I'm waiting for that to happen, then.**

  
Rieger: **Charming as ever... You must be Mr. Marx' son.**

  
_His father's colleague approaches the young student, shaking hands with each other._

  
Eden: **Mr. Rieger, you can go ahead and call me by my surname. Otherwise, you and my father would probably get confused within the next 5 minutes. Aside from that, I am truly happy to visit your workplace, sir... and... my father, of course.**

  
_Marcus chuckled. Him and his son would always play around and have a laugh together._

  
Rieger: **Well, if you're so excited to see what the Titan holds, follow me then.**

  
_Accompanied by Mr. Marx and his son, they would take a tour through the facility. Rieger tells Eden a lot about their projects, as he looks around for himself, at the very same time. He can make out robots, vehicles for any utility, from land, to sea, to air, and even a couple of massive walker drones. Usually, they would use these walkers as a new-generation tank with additional thrust jumpers. Yet, he also gathers a couple of glimpses of weapon prototypes, ranging from railguns to bombers and even X-OOUs - Experimental Omnic Operation Units. Eden could not let go of the thought that these robots were not just made for the sake of security, but for another purpose, as well. Whatever that purpose was, he decides to let go of that thought and keeps his focus on Rieger's tour. They would stop in front of a gigantic generator. The generator levitates a black mass, forming a spiked ball of some sort._

  
Rieger: **Now then, to our most important and perhaps even most-beneficial discovery…**

  
Eden: **Integroflux.**

  
Rieger: **I'm sorry?**

  
Eden: **This... matter... a synthesized substance of a strong ferrofluid, combined with synthetic anti-matter, forged with graphene. It is the very first chemical bond which can literally regenerate itself from "nothing", due to its absorbance of anti-matter.**

  
Rieger: **Y-yes…**

  
_Eden was getting a slightly nervous. He may have said something that he actually was not supposed to know. Either that, or he simply ruined Rieger's tour at this moment. He simply forgets about it as their tour continues. Rieger decides to guide Eden along with Marcus to the X-OOU assembly station._

_  
_ Rieger: **And this... is our new guardian angel.**

  
Eden: **More like an army of guardian angels…**

  
Marcus: **Eden…**

  
Eden: **What now?**

  
Marcus: **You shouldn't act smart about stuff you don't know about, or else, you'll end up looking like an imbecile. Other than that, where did you get the information on Integroflux from?**

  
Eden: **Oh... long story, I'll explain that one later to you.**

  
Rieger: **The Experimental Omnic Operation Units, or in this case, you could call them "Neo-Omnics" are our new progressive pinnacle of robomechanics. As you mentioned earlier Eden; These robots are wearing graphene plates. We took these plates and fused them with synthetic anti-matter and the very ferrofluid from earlier, and even nanomachines! With the help of nanotechnology, we were able to manipulate the ferrofluid mixture on the plates, giving them the ability to regenerate and re-shape back into their base form, if the armor should be damaged. In other words, those are our first models that can heal themselves…**

  
Eden: **And considering, we could use the materials for other purposes, as well, we could construct buildings that would pretty much remain indestructible. Or we could create prosthetics for the disabled. This is an everlasting goldmine!**

  
Rieger: **Not all that glitters is gold, my boy. While it would have a regenerating effect, actual anti-matter would dissolve itself at the same time. In other words, it'd be gone just as fast as it was there. Our synthetic matter is just a prototype. It's vulnerable. While it does absorb its surroundings, including most of our atoms, in order to reconstruct itself, it is not entirely indestructible. You could simply keep shooting at it, and the regenerating effect would wear off. And considering, you could literally hack the nanobots within the materials, you can destroy the structure by simply hacking it. Sure, we could use real, almost pure anti-matter, too. But that would absorb literally everything it touches. The graphene, the ferrofluid... if we really wanted to shape actual dark matter, we would require some sort of power or... energy, that would be able to affect gravity and space, in order to compress the matter and keep it in shape. We do not have that kind of power... yet.**

**  
** Eden: **Sounds like you're already working on something.**

  
Marcus: **We were... but unfortunately, the project is currently down, due to us having other priorities given by the government.**

  
Eden: **So that's some top secret stuff then?**

  
Marcus: **Yes... "very" top secret, Eden.**

**  
** _Marcus would gaze at his son with a slight fire within his eyes. He seems to have an idea of what Eden may have done again. But he lets go off that, as they move on to another section._

  
Rieger: **Ok, there might be something beneficial about it. With the help of our technology, we can create cybernetic enhancements, replacements and augmentations for those who require them. Got a couple of heart problems? We'll get you an accelerator. Lost a limb, or perhaps even an eye? We can replace those in no time.**

  
Marcus: **Yeah, but that's still a long time ahead of us... kind of... You should know, Eden... This is not the technology of tomorrow. Not of next week, not of the next year.**

  
_In the meantime, a VTOL aircraft approaches the Titan. It bears its logo, so it does not propose a threat. Flying through the facility with a green light, the aircraft is approaching the section in which Eden and the two scientists would find themselves in._

  
Marcus: **Nobody is supposed to know about this facility for now, as everyone is lead to believe that we are just an ordinary factory. The Titan proceeds with caution. If there were any incidents, revealing our projects, then everybody would go crazy. And considering that there are some people who already heard of the facility, we cannot risk anyone-**

  
_The wall would explode. All of the sudden, the Titan was under attack. The aircraft shot its way open, in order to allow a squad of soldiers to enter the facility. There were eight of these men. Not only were they armed and aiming right at the three of them, but it was funny enough that they wore the clothes of the Titan's security task force. Something is off. Approaching the boy, one of them would get behind him and aim the barrel right at the back of his head. The other seven secured the area and scavenged their technology. From simple concepts to gadgets, materials and even records from their database._

  
Soldier #1: **Anything on their project list?**

  
Soldier #2: **Just a sec... There, "Project Overwatch". There it is.**

  
Soldier #1: **Well then... Might as well ask one of these fine men what they've been planning.**

  
_Eden carefully attempts to turn his head, when the man behind him pushed the barrel against his skull._

  
Soldier #3: **Don't. Move. A god-damn muscle.**

  
_One of the other men would approach Rieger, first. He remains calm and smooth, as if the job was going to be fine and there would be no victims, at all. Five of the whole squad spread out, in order to secure the section. Now, it is just the three remaining men, along with Rieger, Marx and his son._

  
Soldier #1: **Dr. Rieger... Say, you should know about this... project. At least something? After all, you are one of the leaders, along with Mr. Marx right here.**

  
Rieger: **I have no intention to give away our plans. Neither do you have any permission to know about them. You know your place-**

  
Soldier #1: **That is correct. We know our place, Doc. But do you? For almost a decade now, the government has been transferring their best men, when it comes to technology, from the Feds, from the new KGB, even from the Area 51... to this very place. And what for? To have them build an army of almost indestructible high-end robots that would surpass humanity, as we know it. You are creating animals, giving them the freedom not to be caged and dragged along a collar.**

  
Marcus: **You cannot compare these robots to animals-**

  
Soldier #1: **And that's the point. You are the real animals. You are the ones who have to be caged, if not, reared. And if we won't take care of that, who will?**

  
Marcus: **Isn't there another way?**

  
Soldier #1: **Hmm... is that your boy? He looks similar to you. What would he say, if he were in your place?**

  
Eden: **Oh, boy! Extorting the father by threatening his family. Classic.**

  
_The soldier would raise his hand, going for a smack on the boy's cheek, in order to slam him down. He hits him with all of his force, but Eden would barely tilt his head._

  
Soldier #1: **Wow. Quite the stubborn one, here. I wonder how many beatings you let him take.**

  
Soldier #3: **Perhaps he wouldn't mind another, would he?**

  
_Right when the man behind him could not resist to laugh, the boy turns around, ramming his elbow into the soldiers chest. He reaches for it, as he grunts in pain. At the same time, Eden unarms him and shoots him straight into the head, followed by two more bursts. In the matter of seconds, the boy had gunned down three men who were trained in CQB. Of course, the other five soldiers had heard the gunfire in the distance, so they decided to rush back to their entrance._

  
Eden: **Dad, Rieger, get behind something!**

  
Marcus: **Are you mental? You're not planning on shooting them all by yourself, are you?!**

  
_Eden would sight one of the remaining five, shooting him down in an instant. He quickly turns back to shout at the two of them._

  
Eden: **I said, take cover!!**

  
_They would do as he says, letting Eden go for the rest of them. An inferno was blazing within his eyes as he went for the other four. Using his surroundings, he would jump from level to level, running and gunning down another one from another height. He jumps back down, running straight for the next one, as he tries to hide behind a column. The soldier cannot risk to put his head out, as Eden keeps shooting, suppressing him with all the ammunition from his magazine. Whilst doing so, he would run to the soldier, he recently shot down, grabbing a knife from his pocket and rushing to another location. The fire stopped. The soldier dares to throw his head around the right corner. Eden is out of sight. So he must have run off for the other one. But right at the moment, where the soldier would turn around, the boy stood next to his left, shoving the knife , which he picked up earlier, right into his throat. The blood splatters all onto his hand, slightly spraying over his face. He pulls the knife out of the throat, grabbing for the dead man's pistol - two more to go. He'd turn around, as the other two would fire right at him. He dodges the oncoming bullets, running for cover. He needs a plan to take care of these two. And he has got one. He would take a deep breath, collecting all of his concentration and focusing on this last strike. Running to the wall, and jumping onto it, to get on a higher level, he keeps on moving from left to right, jumping around and confusing his attackers. Being in range, he'd jump straight to the other side, shooting both of them whilst being mid-air. Returning onto the ground, he would check if they were really dead. One of them did not seem to move, however, the other one tried to rest his hand on his chest, stopping the bleeding. Eden aims the pistol right at him, emptying his magazine once again, all over his face. But he still was not done. The last man standing, tried to hobble to his assault rifle, laying on the floor. But the boy quickly turned around, throwing the knife straight into the goggles of the last soldier._

  
Marcus: **Eden! Are you alright?**

  
_His father would approach out of the cover, going for him. But Eden simply drops the knife, looking at his red, dripping hands. The blood of those men was on his hands. He just went out and murdered 8 men on a streak, without any hesitation. He was shocked by what exactly just happened. It was, as if he was not himself during the events._

  
Marcus: **Eden...?**

  
Rieger: **I didn't know, our troops were so... talkative.**

  
Marcus: **They're not.**

  
_Mr. Marx would head towards one of the corpses, pulling up the mask to expose their neck. One of them wore a tattoo of the infamous terror organization, going by the name of…_

  
Marcus: **Talon.**

  
Rieger: **How did they even get here? Not only, would they have to find out where we were, but they'd need to have access to our gear, too. When did this happen?**

  
Marcus: **They were probably planning it for a long time. So they were playing their parts until the day came…**

  
_He'd then look back at his son, as he turns around to him, with a frantic expression on his face._

  
Eden: **Dad…**

  
_Suddenly, an exponentially frequent beeping noise can be heard from the corpses._

  
Eden: **Dad...!**

  
Marcus: **Eden...?!**

  
Eden: **Dad! Bomb!!**

  
_He would run straight towards him, tackling Marcus far away from the corpse, when it suddenly exploded. Eden was sent flying into the air, as the explosion catched his back and let him unleash a loud scream of agony. He falls down, rolling on the floor, as he loses his vision. Everything went black. He could only faintly hear the voice of his father, shouting for him._

 

_One year, later…_

 

_  
_ _He opens his eyes, finding himself inside of a pod. He can barely breathe, nor could he move a finger. That is, because he had no fingers, no hands, no arms. His legs were also cut off, leaving him with his thighs. But if it were not for this machinery, he never would have woken up again. Thanks to new advancements and scientific achievements, Eden and the doctors’ bodies were able to be preserved, massively decreasing their age rate, doubling all expectations. It seemed, as if only days had passed… but is that so? While they all look like only a few months had passed, it was a dozen years since Eden’s unfortunate fate._

  
Rieger: **Vital stats are returning to normal... brain waves are neutral... Eden? Can you hear me...? Wake up.**

  
Eden: **Where am I?**

  
Rieger: **You're safe, Eden... we decided to put you in there, because we had no other choice…**

  
Eden: **I can't feel anything.**

  
Rieger: **Well... that's because your body has been burned, and we had to... well…**

  
Eden: **Say no more. I understand... So I'm just a head with nothing but a torso?**

  
Rieger: **I'm afraid so…**

  
_His father would enter, as he receives the notification that his son finally woke up from his everlasting coma._

  
Marcus: **Where is he?**

  
Rieger: **Over there…**

  
Marcus: **My god... Eden... I'm sorry.**

  
Eden: **Dad, please... it's not your fault. It isn't.**

  
Rieger: **Hold on, my boy. We'll be right back.**

  
_Yan would mute the pod, making sure that Eden would not hear them talk._

  
Rieger: **Marc... we need to talk.**

  
Marcus: **What's wrong with him?**

  
Rieger: **Hah... funny that you ask... well, I've been checking his status recently, and I've come to the conclusion that... either... umm... How do I put this?**

  
Marcus: **Get to the point.**

  
Rieger: **Okay, okay. Fine... So, either your son turns out to have some serious mental issues, regarding his behavior when he "saved" us... Or…**

  
Marcus: **Or...?**

  
Rieger: **Your son... He might be... uhh... He might be kinda... possessed?**

  
Marcus: **... Okay, what?**

  
Rieger: **Look, hear me out, I-**

  
Marcus: **I will hear you out, when you're giving me a decent explanation, why the hell you're thinking that my son has been possessed. By who, actually?**

  
Rieger: **Well, so far, I don't know much about it, yet. But I can confirm that someone, or something, is inside of his head, if that was truly the case. And I've got some evidence, actually.**

  
Marcus: **Evidence?**

  
Rieger: **Yesterday, when he was still in a coma, I recorded his brain waves, emitting a weird signal. The waves were kicking up and down, in a very odd pattern. Odd enough for me to examine it further. And as it turns out-**

  
Marcus: **You're not saying, it was some kind of morse code?**

  
Rieger: **Exactly, it was! So, I went ahead, wrote down the entire code, and ended up with this…**

  
_He would show him a picture of a text, saying the following: "The awakening is near."_

  
Marcus: **Maybe that is, because he just woke up.**

  
Rieger: **Oh, sure. So that was nothing but a silly coincedence. Because he can simply talk with subliminal telepathic messages, sent straight from his brain. That's totally normal, for a boy like him!**

  
Marcus: **Even if he was possessed, what else would it refer to? "The awakening is near." What does that even mean? That he’s some kinda… monster?**

  
_All of the sudden, the fuses were blown, as a bright mass of sparks was falling down, before the whole place went dark. Lucky for Eden, the pod was not affected for an unknown reason._

  
Eden: **What just happened? Did you turn off the lights?**

  
Rieger: **That... was not us.**

  
Eden: **Anyways... how long will I stay in this pod?**

  
Rieger: **Depends on how long it'll keep you alive.**

  
Eden: **And how long would that be...?**

  
Rieger: **... Maybe five, six... days?**

  
Eden: **How... how long have I been inside of this thing?**

  
Marcus: **It's been... about twelve months, Eden.**

  
Eden: **Hm... Not even gonna get the chance to celebrate my birthday, then…**

  
Rieger: **Sorry, kid. We tried our best.**

  
Eden: **Then try better, Doctor... please... I beg you.**

  
_His voice began to shake, as his eyes got red. He surely was not ready to die, yet. But death was inevitable. Rieger did not give up just yet, however._

  
Rieger: **I'll try…**

  
_He would head off to make some plans for Eden, as his colleague would remain with Eden for a couple more seconds._

  
Marcus: **Eden…**

  
Eden: **I'll be fine, dad... I promise, I will.**

  
_Following these words, his father would follow Dr. Rieger, keeping his son from watching him sob and cry for his life that would soon come to an end - sooner than ever thought. Rieger would gather his partner to discuss their next plan. He had something in mind, regarding the Integroflux that was used for their Neo-Omnics._

  
Marcus: **What? We can't just revive Project Overwatch! We laid the project on ice, for good! I mean...W-we don't even know how it'll turn out!**

  
Rieger: **Which is why we have to move on and see, how it'll work out.**

  
Marcus: **Damnit, Yan! This is Eden, who we're talking about! We can't just include "my son" in this project.**

  
Rieger: **I know, we have never done any human experiments, yet. But sometimes, the genius will have to break the rules, in order to create new ones. This could be our chance to save him! "Your" chance to have your son back!**

  
Marcus: **I know, but... are you sure about this? How long would it take?**

  
Rieger: **One more week, to start off with Eden... The rest... another month, hopefully… if not, a couple of years?**

  
Marcus: **Are you being optimistic?**

  
Rieger: **No, I'm being realistic, even though I am waging my options.**

  
Marcus: **Let's make it count, then…**

  
Rieger: **Are you with me?**

  
Marcus: **If it means that I'll be with him, again... then yes.**

  
_They would start working on a base design for a new body. That body would end up becoming Eden's new refuge. His new body would provide a whole new feeling, enhancing his senses, movements and even allowing him access to connect with other computers and databases around him. Yet, the body requires a sample of Eden's DNA, in order to have the body resemble its owner and returning his memories. Therefor, they will gather all the information from his brain. Days would pass, as the final preparations are being made. Marcus would find Eden in the examination room, his head hooked up to a machine, which would end up extracting all of his memories._

  
Marcus: **Well... this is it.**

  
Eden: **Time to say goodbye for a short moment.**

  
Marcus: **I'm not sure, if it'll feel the same.**

  
Eden: **Stop worrying about me. I appreciate it, but I can't have you cry about me... you know that it hits me just as much as it does hit you. We're on the same page.**

  
Marcus: **I know... I'm aware…**

  
Eden: **...Dad?**

  
Marcus: **Hm?**

  
Eden: **In case, things shouldn't turn out as planned, do not abort the process...Don't... stop…**

  
Marcus: **W-what?**

  
Eden: **It is almost time. The awakening…**

  
Marcus: **What are you talking about? The awakening of what?**

  
Eden: **Go... go to Rieger... You'll see... the truth…**

  
_The scientist would give his son one last hug before he leaves him in the room... alone... passing away, slowly... Finding himself at the X-OOU assembling station, where they would generate Eden's new body, Marcus would get next to Rieger._

  
Rieger: **I suppose, you're ready?**

  
Marcus: **There is no other way. We have to…**

  
Rieger: **Well then... let us begin with the line-up.**

  
_The doctor would turn on the machine, taking the Integroflux, as it shapes into a black, floating ball. The ball would spread into tiny wires, shaping the inner structure of Eden's new supposed body - his new skeleton, you could say._

  
Rieger: **So far, so good... The subject is taking a simple, anthropomorphic shape. All stats remaining normal. Initiate power induction.**

  
_The robotic body would begin pumping in a silver blue light. It is being charged up, in order to run. Everything goes fine. This might be the opportunity for Marcus to save his son. Rieger would continue by adding Eden's DNA to the induction. The body would now begin to get into a fetal position, as the light would start glowing._

  
Marcus: **Rieger... you're... you're a genius.**

  
Rieger: **We are geniuses, buddy... I couldn't do it without your help-**

  
_The machine starts to record a weird change of power levels. The stats start to shake for a moment, slowly going down._

  
Rieger: **No, no, no! Don't do this to me.**

  
Marcus: **He's losing his shape.**

  
Rieger: **Something is wrong with the nanobots. They're not responding. What is going on?**

  
_Focused on the screens, neither of them would notice the body to move its head up, letting out a faint growl. The ferrofluid starts to spaz out, emitting spikes everywhere, as if another magnetic force started affecting it._

  
Rieger: **Wait... the numbers are going back up... yes, this looks alright...!**

  
_The body begins to jump and twitch, losing its current shape. The numbers keep going higher, but they actually would not stop. Stunned by this work, Marcus would be distracted by this beautiful process that comes to his eyes._

  
Rieger: **Marcus, something is not right... Marcus?**

  
_The numbers go crazy, as the system warns about a critical error. The body would float towards the glass that would separate the scientists from the generator, as it rests its hand onto the glass. The room begins to emit more sparks, as the silver blue would turn into an orange red. The light from the energy would get brighter, seemingly hinting on a massive energy increase._

  
Rieger: **Marcus, what are you doing? We have to stop! Marcus!!**

  
_Rieger tries to shut down the process, as the system does not respond, throwing more sparks at the doctor. He falls down, quickly getting back on his feet as the whole room starts to rumble. The light from the energy would take up almost the entirety of the room, blinding Dr. Rieger._

  
Rieger: **Marcus!! Listen!! Whatever is going on, is not supposed to happen!! Get away from that glass!! Marcus!!!**

  
_The body would knock with force against the glass, causing it to break a little. It suddenly starts to deform, resulting in a pair of long horns growing on the head of the new mechanical body. The eyes would widen out, growing in size, as if they belonged to a monster straight out of hell. A pair of wings would begin to grow on its back, spreading out and getting bigger. The limbs, the legs, the torso, everything began to grow in size and power. It would let out a metallic scream, facing Mr. Marx, as its face begins to glow._

  
Marcus: **Eden... What are you-...?**

  
_Dragged back into the middle, the demonic-shaped robot would grab its face and tilt its head up, as it lets out one more scream. The face would split and open, causing the room to be flashed by a bright light. Something explodes, unleashing a massive amount of power, so that it breaks the glass and shatters all of the screens within the room. The shockwave would spread over a massive area, even if you could not see it. You could actually feel a slight vibration within your body, if you were on the other side of the world. That is how strong the shockwave was, although it did not seem to have caused any significant damage, other than that. Slowly, Marcus gets back up again, trying to figure out just what may have happened. The light expires, as the scientist can make out the shape of a human being. The plates adjust themselves, from his legs to his torso. A few parts start to glow in a silver blue light. Odd enough, while the procedure succeeded, it did not turn out the way that it was intended to. The chest carried a massive engravement of an eye, right where his heart would be. The eye would go all over his chest, also glowing in that very silver blue light. Yet, ignoring the unintentional results, the boy seems to be fine. He opens his eyes, analyzing the area. He could see everything - from dust particles to inner workings. He even saw "things" that nobody else but him were able to see. But before the new Eden could confirm the success, he falls down to the floor, shutting down. The vast discharge of all that energy must have caused his circuits to break, followed by his processors having overheated, resulting in a critical failure, and an emergency shutdown._

 

  
_A few days later…_

 

  
_Sitting in his bed, the re-imagined Eden Marx inspects his new body. He guides his fingers along the mechanism on the back of his lower arm. He would notice that the very same mechanism can be found on his other arm, too... Yet, it is unlikely that he would not know whatever they were made for._

  
Rieger: **Ah, I see... finally got back up again?**

  
Eden: **And I'm already asking myself a meticulous amount of 127 questions.**

  
Rieger: **Good. Which means that your process units are working just fine. You're able to calculate infinite amounts of events, outcomes, possibilities, …**

  
Eden: **Yeah, yeah, yeah... could you tell me what exactly those bits are for?**

  
_Out of nowhere, a sharp, curved blade would expose itself from his lower arm. The blade extends to reach objects beyond the length of his own arms. They also seem to have the ability to turn up to an angle of 45°. To his surprise, Eden would jump and shake in fright._

  
Eden: **Wha- Woah!! What the...?! What is this?!**

  
Rieger: **Eden, calm yourself down.**

  
Eden: **What the hell is that?! Wh-... what did you do to me?**

  
Rieger: **For heaven's sake, Eden. Relax!**

  
Eden: **Relax...? Relax, doc?! I'll have you known that there is a blade, literally sticking out of my arm!! And you have the decency to tell me to relax?!**

  
Rieger: **I... quite understand that this may be a shock for y-**

  
Eden: **It "may be"?! Hell, what are you taking me for?!**

  
_The puzzled doctor would release a sigh, trying to maintain his composure._

  
Rieger: **Anyway... that blade is... quite a special piece of tech... see, it's actually just a formation of super-thin graphene plates, combined into one big cluster. Once the blade is coming up, these plates will constellate into the shape of this blade. Quite dynamic, actually. And it even remains compact. We...implied those as a defensive tool.**

  
Eden: **Good. Now that I know what this is... Is there anything else that I should know about?**

  
_Seemingly provoking his features to be shown, he notices that he feels an odd tingle in one of his arms. While the blades retract themselves, his right arm transforms, extending into 4 barrels. All of the sudden, his arm turned into a firearm, leaving the boy without any words to describe what he is seeing there._

  
Eden: **Ok... let me guess... another "defense mechanism"?**

  
Rieger: **A kinetic pulse blaster. Charging up the fused plasma particles, this firearm does not use projectiles, such as bullets. Instead, it relies on the energy from our surroundings. In this state, however, you are only able to absorb and reproduce a limited amount of plasma. Which means, we had to adjust the fire mode, resulting in a burst of 4 projectiles per "shot".**

  
Eden: **A burst rifle, then? And according to your calculations, this thing does not run out of ammo?**

  
Rieger: **Exactly.**

  
Eden: **Quite the attention paid to such details... Hmph... Neat.**

  
Rieger: **This may feel a bit unusual, I understand -**

  
Eden: **No, no. I'm good. I believe, I've seen it all now.**

  
_Just when he thought, there were no more upgrades, he feels something on his back, as he reaches his arms behind. He touches some sort of cybernetic wing that must have spread open._

  
Eden: **... Alright, I'll take it back.**

  
_As time passes by, Rieger guides him, along with Marcus, to the new shooting range within their facility. While looking around, Eden notices a drastic change. The dominating colors that he saw on the walls, the requisites and other bits, were mainly blue and orange. There was also an odd circle-shaped symbol. Maybe, it could have been based on the original "peace" sign. When the three of them arrive at the range, Eden approaches the testing field._

  
Marcus: **So... I guess, you know what that is?**

  
Eden: **A test?**

  
Marcus: **Quite so. Rieger and I would like to see your skills, actually. After all, he gave you those weapons for -**

  
Eden: **For self-defense, yes. So, you're gonna have me start with "Re-Figura", then?**

  
Marcus: **Re-what?**

  
Eden: **Nevermind, just boot up the program…**

  
Marcus: **How did you even know-**

  
Eden: **Other than the fact that it's quite obvious? I guess, I already figured out how to utilize the CEI-Interface. I can read your mind like my favorite book.**

  
Marcus: **Cerebral Electrical Impulse... Yan?**

  
Rieger: **Gotta keep him up-to-date, Marc.**

  
_The scientists would initiate the training sequence for Eden's new blaster. The program starts. So far, Eden is doing fine, even though he seems to miss a couple of shots. His precision is dropping faster than Newton's Apple must have dropped, when he discovered gravity._

  
Marcus: **You alright, son?**

  
Eden: **Can't complain, dad!**

  
Rieger: **Is something wrong, or why do you miss so many targets?**

  
Eden: **Honestly, I feel like I've never done this before!**

  
_No matter how much he tries, Eden is still missing his targets. Even the time that it takes for him to aim at them is getting worse. It appears that Eden must be hesitating. A loud buzzing noise follows, as the program is being stopped._

  
Rieger: **Okay, we're not getting further with this. Eden, what is going on?**

  
Eden: **You tell me, I haven't been firing around with that kind of caliber!**

  
Rieger: **It's just like last year, when you saved us from those spies! What's so hard about that?**

  
_Rieger decides to mute the room for a moment, taking a minute to talk with Eden's father._

  
Rieger: **This isn't good.**

  
Marcus: **You're being too harsh with him.**

  
Rieger: **Me? Harsh? Well, what about you then? You're his dad! To be honest, this is nothing! Absolutely unacceptable.**

  
Marcus: **Give him another chance... He barely got to warm himself up.**

  
Rieger: **Fine... Alright, hotshot. You got one more try. Actually, I would have you get out of here to fix this problem, but maybe - just maybe... You could change my mind. Now then, let's give it another shot.**

  
_Eden would collect all of his focus, preparing himself for one more attempt. He stands completely still, his blaster being retracted, until the program starts anew._

  
Rieger: **Ready, when you are…**

  
Eden: **...I'm ready.**

  
Rieger: **Now then... I'll give you the countdown... 3... 2…**

  
_Suddenly, Eden feels billions of sparks rushing through him, when his eyes start to flash in a fire red light. It happened in an instant. However, it feels like time has slowed down around him. He could feel the sonic waves passing through him, as he prepares himself for that final attempt._

  
Rieger: **1…**

  
_His eyes move to where he believes the first target to spawn from. Before the start, he already drives out the Re-Figura. Rieger starts the program. Right, when it begins, he draws the blaster towards where he guessed the first target to show up. He shoots right at the spot, and as it turns out, Eden was right. In the matter of seconds, Eden shot down 5 targets, without breaking a single sweat. His burst rate is at its peak, without any delay, or hesitation, whatsoever. All of the sudden, Eden's execution was perfect. He hits every target, with every burst. And to top it all off, he breaks the assumed record. A killstreak of 30 targets, none of the bursts had missed. The best time to possibly achieve, would be 20.5 seconds: 30 bursts, each of them summing up 0.4 seconds, including four times, when he had to reload, adding another 2.125 seconds, each. Somehow, Eden managed to break this record with a time of 20.02 seconds - a difference of five tenths, almost half a second! This was not a glitch... Eden broke his own limits and went beyond all expectations!_

  
Marcus: **Told you, the second chance would pay out.**

  
Rieger: **That's impossible.**

  
Marcus: **I know, right? He beat the system!**

  
Rieger: **No, it's not that... Not only the fact that Eden managed to beat it.... He knew exactly, where the targets would spawn. And the odds of doing so, would be... -**

  
Marcus: **Yan... We're speaking of my son. He was a genius to begin with.**

  
_Mr. Marx would head out to congratulate his son and give him a decent high five, while Dr. Rieger remains being left speechless._

  
Rieger: **He's no ordinary genius…**

 

  
░░░░░░ _-_ ░░░░░░ _-_ ░░░░░░ _/ CLASSIFIED_

#    
**_"Rebirth" (Part 2)_**

  
_Rieger remains suspicious. He has got a good point, when it comes to Eden's suddenly discovered talents. His performance excelled that, of what Rieger had believed to be all of his capabilities. He ran faster, grew stronger, smarter and more mysterious. Perhaps, the doctor may have been right, after all. Maybe Eden has been possessed. Yet, it could not be proven, so all that Rieger could possibly rely on, was mere speculation._

  
_In the meantime, Eden would find himself, taking a break in his personal room, meditating. It appears, as if he could simply take the time for one or two day-dreams. As he dreams, a vision emerges from the deepest depths of his mind, portraying a tragedy of an innocent being. Who was it, however? And what did they have to do with him? Once again, the entrance of a temple, surrounded by a cheering crowd. In front of the entrance, surrounded by pillars and ornaments, he found himself standing in front of an altar._

  
?: **I've been there before... So often... You may believe, that everytime, it had been different. But it was always the same. They perished of their own delusions. Their bloodlust. Their acceptance of being manipulated by seemingly powerless words. They simply had to "believe" in the presence of their power... and they felt stronger. But the powers they obtained, were not theirs to be claimed. They were not worthy of deciding over death. They will never be.**

 

  
?: **Yet, it still hits me everytime, as if I had forgotten. The crimes and sins, that they had committed. It may be their nature, according to humanity itself. But is that so? Humanity was not the first kind to inhabit this world. This galaxy. This universe, or any other place in existence. Before the creation of "existence" itself, there was a paradox presence of beings, above all. No god, no titan, no deity came even close to them. Yet, they dedicated themselves to seek freedom in movement and execution of power. Together. Not against each other. The Vigilants. It was their own dedication to watch over all existence. They held a ritual to worship the leading head of the alliance that they had chosen. His name... was Simikiel. A boy of benevolence, justice, consolation and unforgiving wrath. Their blood was to mark their connection to him. It required the blood of everyone, to fulfill the ritual. However, it was destined that one of them would not follow this ritual, but instead interrupt it in betrayal.**

  
_But before Eden was able to witness more of what he saw, he is dragged out of his focus by a buzzing noise. His father decided to check after his son._

  
Marcus: **Eden...? Whatcha doing up there?**

  
_The boy finds himself upside down, levitating through the room, as he falls down to the floor. He manages to maintain balance on his index fingers, as he slowly lowers himself onto his feet._

  
Eden: **I was... resting…**

  
Marcus: **You're... not doing anything... odd, are you?**

  
Eden: **Do you believe, I had downloaded a virus or something?**

  
Marcus: **I don't know. Are you more machine than human? Or what is it that you are?**

  
Eden: **I don't know…**

  
Marcus: **See? This is why I'm asking. Even if you think that you know everything... how do you know that you do? You don't... "I know one thing; that I know nothing."**

  
Eden: **The Socratic Paradox.**

  
Marcus: **Everything is a bit paradox, don't you think?**

  
Eden: **I know that I know nothing, dad.**

  
Rieger: **Touché, as ever.**

  
_Out of nowhere, the doctor would interrupt the family conversation and ask Eden to step out of his space. Rieger has been planning to prepare Eden for the new VR-units. It would be his first time to use a mere glimpse of his true potential._

  
Rieger: **Don't worry, Marc. I'll take care of him for now. Say, would you mind checking on the devides? We don’t want him to get stuck in there, do we?**

  
Marcus: **I’m on it. You just make sure, he’ll be in the VR room, in time.**

  
Rieger: **Oh, don’t you worry. I got this!** **  
** **  
** _Being left alone, the somewhat furious doctor, approached the boy who was just standing there, clueless about his intentions._ _  
_ _  
_ Rieger: **That skid, you pulled off, last time. How did you do it?** **  
** **  
** Eden: **Err… What?** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **The test, damnit! How did you beat the system?!** **  
** **  
** Eden: **How did I… Oh, you mean how I managed to surpass your expectations… Well, honestly, I don’t really know, doc. I just… did it. And that’s it, really. Nothing special to it, so far.** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **Eden. You’re hiding something from me. And if I have to get inside of your “brain”, I will find out what it is.** **  
** **  
** Eden: **Good. Because I’m just as curious as you are… So, what was that about the VR room?** **  
** **  
** _Eden finds himself within an empty, cubic room, filled with nothing but himself, and a massive machinery that would surround the boy with plenty of plugs and cables._ _  
_ _  
_ Marcus: **This is a virtual-reality program. What you are about to see, is not real, in any type of way. It is just a digital projection. However, this room comes with an X-Dimensional package, allowing for realistic experience.** **  
** **  
** Eden: **So, it’s just like that one movie where they’re all in some kind of simulation, and yet, their brains make it feel real?** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **In a more simple term, try not to die. Or else, you might just “really” do so.** **  
** **  
** _The plugs descended from above, finding their way into the plug-in entrances on Eden’s cybernetic body. The machinery lifts up his body, in order to give him free movement all around the room. For the short period of the connection with the VR system, Marcus and Rieger have temporary control over Eden’s movements and actions._ _  
_ _  
_ Rieger: **VR-X online.** **  
** **  
** Marcus: **Okay, Eden. This won’t hurt a bit, even though it might look a bit… y’know… painful. But this thing needs to be attached onto your face. The neuro-receptors will go through your eyes, into your CPU, in order to start the simulation.** **  
** **  
** Eden: **Just don’t turn me into a vegetable. I don’t care about the rest…** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **Starting Virtual Training Unit in 3… 2… 1…** **  
** **  
** _As the countdown came to an end, the ocular part would fix itself onto Eden’s face, connecting him with the simulation. In the matter of milliseconds, Eden finds himself on a seemingly endless canyon, in the middle of a salt flat._ _  
_ _  
_ Rieger: **Welcome to your first VR-experience. How do you feel?** **  
** **  
** Eden: **I feel like I just teleported elsewhere, and you’d be stalking me.** **  
** **  
** Marcus: **I guess, the simulation is working just fine.** **  
** **  
** Eden: **Except, I don’t feel like I’m in a simulation… It’s… surprisingly realistic.** **  
** **  
** Marcus: **That’s the X-Dimensional aspect of this system. You will be able to see, hear, taste, smell and feel your environments, as if you were really there. Now then, to your first lesson. We need to test your motor activity with your new set of thruster wings.** **  
** **  
** Eden: **About time, I get to try those out…! Wait a minute, won’t I fly out of the room, once I- …?** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **Don’t worry. You won’t be utilizing your thrusters outside of the simulation. However, you will think that you are using them, and you will experience the power that those things deliver.** **  
** **  
** Eden: **Seems about right to me…** **  
**  
_The horizon was plain, surrounded by mountains and canyons that would shape this empty virtual desert. Eden felt a light breeze pass through his wings. The plates across his body began the calibration process, in order to prepare Eden for aerodynamic support. His shoulders, arms, thighs and legs all had flaps adjusted onto them, helping the boy to steer through the air, or braking quickly._ _  
_ _  
_ Marcus: **Y’know what to do, then. Spread your wings and fly away, kiddo!** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **Just make sure you do activate the thrusters, before you do anything stupid like… y’know…** **  
** **  
** _Ignoring his advice, Eden was confident that he could do it without any assistments. He runs for the flight, preparing to take off, as his cybernetic legs delivered additional juice for higher jumps. He jumps as high as he could, spreading his arms, as he would be ready to take off. But just then, he is realizing that something was missing…_ _  
_ _  
_ Eden: **Oh no, no, no, no, NO!** **  
** **  
** _Falling flat on the salty surface, Eden could not concentrate far enough to make his thrusters work. The dust covers his face, leaving him with light coughs._ _  
_ _  
_ Marcus: **Oh for god’s sake…** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **See that? He’s not ready, yet. Let’s just pull him out of-** **  
** **  
** Marcus: **Yan… Not yet…** **  
** **  
** _Rieger is mildly annoyed. What is it, that would give his partner so much confidence in that boy, anyways? Sure, to him, he was his son… but was that really Eden? Was Eden really surpassing Yan’s expectations, previously on the shooting range? Or was something else causing him to suddenly improve that much?_ _  
_ _  
_ Marcus: **Give it another try. And this time, Eden, concentrate for once…** **  
** **  
** Eden: **Oomph… Alright, alright… I got you… Gotta concentrate… Focus…** **  
** **  
** _The boy began to let go of his thoughts, letting his circuits flow through the body. His pupils pulsate, showing that Eden was ready. His breath was slow, yet long and constant… His legs were running again. He jumps… This time, he could feel his wings spread out, as the heat would flow out of the thrusters. This is it. The wings were fully charged, shooting Eden into the air like a sky rocket. He yelled with excitement through the air, echoing across the entire canyon._ _  
_ _  
_ Eden: **Woooooooo! I’m flying…! Ha-Ha, I’m flyyyiiiiin- Woah!!** **  
** **  
** _Just before crashing into a rocky pillar, the boy would dash to the side, guided by his aero flaps. He felt the heavy winds pass through his body, brushing against his face._ _  
_ _  
_ Eden: **Dad, you have no idea how much fun this is!** **  
** **  
** Marcus: **I get that… think, you can access the HUD and tell me how fast you’re going?** **  
** **  
** _His interface would display the following information: velocity, acceleration, mach speed, air temperature, weather condition, route, aerodynamics, body status, and more! Eden zooms through the tight canyons, going much faster than he believed…_ _  
_ _  
_ Eden: **It says “654 kilometers per hour”! How fast is that?!** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **About half the speed of sound…** **  
** **  
** Eden: **Think, I can go even faster?** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **Huh…  I know, you can…** **  
** **  
** _Eden accepts the challenge, forcing his thrusters to work even more power! The speedometer continues to go up, as Eden flies curves, loops, even passing through tight tunnels which require him to switch his position almost once, every second! 800 kilometers … 900… 1000… He knew, he would make it. He notices, how instead of having a harder time of accelerating, he just keeps getting faster without hesitation. And finally, he hits Mach 1. A loud ear-destroying boom halls across the mountains. The boy finally passed sonic speed and continues to accelerate even faster…!_ _  
_ _  
_ Marcus: **Hah! See that? That’s my son!** **  
** **  
** Eden: **How fast can I go?!** **  
** **  
** Marcus: **We… can’t give you an exact number, Eden. But I believe-**

 

Eden: **Wait… you can hear me? I thought, I already passed the sound barrier! How can you hear me??** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **Number one, you’re in a simulation. Number two, … modulation. You may not be able to communicate via sound waves, but you’re still emitting radio waves that can be captured by audio devices, such as headphones. In other words, you’re talking through your head, instead of out of your mouth.** **  
** **  
** Eden: **What?! Are you saying, I got telepathic powers?!**

 

Rieger: **They’re not telepathic. They’re rather-** **  
** **  
** Eden: **This is awesooooome!!** **  
** **  
** _After reaching a record-breaking Mach 4, Eden comes to a halt, spreading his wings wide open. His flaps took as much space as they could, increasing drag at an incredibly fast rate. It only took him 3.2 seconds to brake down to zero! An ordinary aircraft would have broken apart from the sheer force. Eden stops for a moment to look around. His arms were spread, so were his legs and flaps. His thrusters maintained him in a straight position._ _  
_ _  
_ Rieger: **Alright, guess you had enough fun in there. Wanna practice some other courses? I got-** **  
** **  
** Eden: **Just a moment… Say, Rieger… What’s the fastest aircraft known to fly? Official or not…** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **Well, according to recent tests, the HTV units managed to surpass Mach 18. That means, you’ll probably have to leave earth for that test.** **  
** **  
** Eden: **I’ll break it.** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **What?** **  
** **  
** Eden: **The record. I’m gonna break it without breaking a sweat, myself…** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **Try, as you please…**

 

_Eden went back to fly across the salt flats, until steering himself upwards, making course towards the troposphere… and the atmosphere… until he leaves planet earth and shoots through the simulated space. His mach-speedometer continues to rise… Mach 1, Mach 2, 3, 4, 5, 6… he gradually got faster and faster._ _  
_ _  
_ Marcus: **Sweet Jesus, he’s gonna do it! Look at that! He just doesn’t stop…**  
  
Mach _15, 16, 17, 18… 19, and Eden was not done. Despite surpassing three times hypersonic speed, his thrusters did not stop. How could he save up so much energy? Would it ever stop? 22… 26… 34… 48… It was at this moment, when Marcus realized, something was wrong…_ _  
_ _  
_ Marcus: **Rieger…? Rieger, something’s wrong!** **  
** **  
** _His assistant saw how Eden went faster than anything else… Even Eden himself could feel the speed increase more and more…! The scientists would attempt to slow Eden down, as the system is suddenly being overwritten._ _  
_ _  
_ Rieger: **The controls are offline! We can’t steer him!** **  
** **  
** Marcus: **Yan, just slow him down, somehow!** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **We can’t…! It’s too late for that…** **  
** **  
** _Mach 163… Mach 345… Mach 782… The stars began to take the shape of shooting stars and laser beams, sparkling all across Eden’s eyes, as he flew through the stargate… Mach 1677, Mach 5201, Mach 12766… Eden does not slow down at all. Even more surprising, how did he even manage to go that fast? His body should not be able to handle those kinds of speeds, anyways. Nobody has ever managed to get anywhere near the speed that the boy would travel inside of the simulation… Mach 59014… Mach 200203, Mach… Suddenly, the HUD disappeared… All that Eden could see, was a bunch of blurry rays marking the direction that Eden went. Yet, he felt his body heat up immensely.... but it does not bother him… he embraces the heat, when his eyes start to glow again… it was the same fluorescent red as before, when Eden attended the shooting range. Was his HUD broken? Or was that someone else, manipulating the boy into going even faster than he should be going?_ _  
_ _  
_ Marcus: **How far does your simulation reach??** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **I-it’s not a 1:1 equivalent of our universe, in terms of discovered stars and galaxies, however he shouldn’t run out of space… maybe time, but not space!** **  
** **  
** _His body began to glow. The light emitted all kinds of colors of the rainbow… white flashes passed his eyes, as his sight began to blur even more. But Eden does not stop. He goes even faster, almost reaching the speed of light…! Yan would make a seemingly futile attempt to contact Eden, before he vanishes into nothingness._ _  
_ _  
_ Rieger: **Eden…! Listen to me! You have to slow down! If you don’t stop, you may fuse with the electromagnetic waves, or even worse, you would disappear within the vacuum and turn into nothing! You must stop, right now!** **  
** **  
** _The space went blank, as everything in front of him vanished into the white light… This was the moment when Eden, theoretically, had surpassed the speed of light, itself. Nobody really knew what was going on inside of his mindset. But to his own surprise, Eden does not feel the speed, anymore. It appears, as if he had come to a stop… except… nothing was there… He was alone… All by himself, seemingly trapped in a blank space. Or so he thought, until he turns around. A misty figure opposed him, reaching taller than the boy did. It wears a pair of horns on top of his head, curving back down, behind his head. The eyes were wide open, and his teeth were pointy. Eden was unsure what exactly that thing could have been. It felt familiar, however, as if it was a part of him. Hasn’t he ever seen it, before? Just before he could manage to approach it and find out more, he felt another breeze. Eden slowed down again, as he would brake back to zero. Except, this time, his body has to face a massive challenge throughout the process of slowing down._

 

Marcus: **Check his vitals! I think, he’s gonna lose his mind, if he doesn’t look out!** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **If not, he’ll fuse with the simulation, trapping him inside a loop. His main CPU activity is going haywire…! I don’t think, he’s gonna make it…** **  
** **  
** _Everything flashes and shakes Eden around. It was, as if he had been violently dragged out of the simulation. And so he was. He falls down onto his back, lying there in a room full of wires. He was back in the simulation room. His body was shaking, so was his breath. He slowly gets back up on his feet, yet not without feeling dizzy. Fortunately for him, his virtual journey was finally over…_ _  
_ _  
_ Eden: **Thank goodness, it’s over… It’s good to be back…** **  
** **  
** Marcus: **Yan… are you seeing this?** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **This is not right…**

 

_The two scientists remained puzzled. Eden did not get any reply from outside of the simulation room… did he break the simulation room?_ _  
_ _  
_ Eden: **Dad… it’s over… I’m out of this simulation… Dad? Can you hear me…?** **  
** **  
** _But what he saw, was not the reality in which Marcus and Rieger found themselves in. They could read Eden’s activity, however, inside the room, he stood absolutely still… He remained idle without moving an inch… And his face was still covered by the ocular device that connected Eden’s computer brain to the simulation. It appears that Eden was trapped inside of the simulation, after all…!_ _  
_ _  
_ Rieger: **No… No, this… this shouldn’t be happening.** **  
** **  
** Marcus: **Rieger, I swear to you, if you don’t do something about this, right now… Then I’ll put you through a hell worse than his…!** **  
** **  
** _Meanwhile, inside the simulation, Eden was all alone. There was no way for the two men to reach him. Wherever Eden was, he was all by himself… or was he? The room began to vibrate… The walls came loose, as everything flew off into the white void, piece by piece. Eden could feel his body change entirely. He feels the agony of a lingering spirit, tearing him apart, inside out. He tries to conceal it, but piece by piece, Eden’s body began to crumble… His limbs grew bigger, as his head would grow, as well. He screamed in pain, as everything was stretching out. It feels, as if he was trapped inside the core of the sun. But instead of frying him instantly, the heat would slowly eat him up. Marcus rushed towards the room, trying to force Eden out of the simulation. The boy lost his shape, turning into something far more sinister… But he knew exactly what it was. His body took the same shape as the misty creature from before… Was this him? Did he see himself, when he had passed the speed of light? This time, Eden saw another misty figure… except this time, it resembled more of a human with angelic wings. A hand would reach towards his face, as Eden shouts were distorted and shaped by a metallic ear-scraping noise. The hand reached his face, pulling it out in a flash… The ocular device was removed, as Eden fell down, shaking on the floor. His behavior resembled that of an epileptic. But Eden was not human, anymore! … Or was he? Slowly and carefully, Eden would regain consciousness, as he found himself back in the real world. He felt sickened, as something built up within his body. His cheeks began to swell up, as the boy went onto all fours, vomiting a pool of black goo the floor. It seemed to have been molten Integroflux from his own body. Funny enough, Eden is not supposed to show any of these human traits, anymore._ _  
_ _  
_ Marcus: **Take him for an exam… Something’s wrong with him…** **  
** **  
** Rieger: **Yeah… I think, I know what it is…**

  
_Eden would be guided to the examination room, as Rieger suggests him to lay down. He grabs the electrodes and applies them to his whole body, hooking the boy up to the machinery._

  
Eden: **So... another EEG?**

  
Rieger: **Indeed. I'd just like to make sure that... well, you see…**

  
Eden: **What...?**

  
Rieger: **I... am worried about your current circumstances, and psychic changes. Hence why I'm doing this.**

  
Eden: **I thought that I am a machine. I don't have a brain anymore, do I?**

  
Rieger: **Not in physical shape, no... However, we have transferred samples and synaptic schemes from your brain to your processors. In other words... your "new brain" is a... computer.**

  
_He turns on the device, and stares at the screen to inspect Eden's status. He would not notice any abnormalities for this very moment, when the boy suddenly turns his head towards him and stares deep into his face, without expressing any sort of facial hints of emotions._

  
Eden: **I know what you're doing.**

  
_Slightly surprised and confused, the doctor would look over to him and question his words._

  
Rieger: **Pardon me?**

  
Eden: **Come now, Yan. You know, something's off. You knew it from the start.**

  
Rieger: **What...?!**

  
Eden: **Hmph... The part about me being possessed? You weren't entirely wrong.**

  
_The color of Eden's eyes began to change. They would begin to slightly glow in a flaming hot color. He has changed again. The brain waves go all haywire, when Rieger would be focused on the boy._

  
Eden: **Do you know what you're doing, Doc?**

  
Rieger: **What am I doing...?**

  
Eden: **A mistake... I know your plans - Your goals, your desires... all of them.**

  
Rieger: **No... No, this... This is a glitch. Eden, are you with me?**

  
Eden / Simikiel: **Am I?**

  
Rieger: **T-this might just be a malfunction, causing your behavior to change. I'm not sure, if you had developed some sort of MPD, or anything -**

  
Eden / Simikiel: **I sure have been acting weird, haven't I? Going beyond... Doing the impossible? Funny enough, it is also impossible to predict the exact future, for each of our actions, words and thoughts would create another path. As many thoughts, as there might be... There is another path. Another reality... But I know... I know what path, you'll take.**

  
_Rieger would get up, approaching the red button to shut down the electricity within this room. He was about to abort his procedure to save himself a lot of troublesome words._

  
Rieger: **Yeah, sure... And I'm so interested in knowing what exactly awaits me.**

  
Eden / Simikiel: **Death, Rieger. You'll die. And with you, all of those dreams will follow.**

  
_Unable to take the heat, he immediately shuts down the entire room, followed by a pitch black darkness and silence. The only thing that could be heard, was Rieger's sharpened breath. He fears whatever might have become out of Eden._

  
?: **I was sleeping... my eyes, shut - unable to witness your sins. But then... I woke up.**

  
_The emergency lights would go on, when Rieger quickly turns towards the boy. He remained still, without any movement. Perhaps, he must have shut him down by accident. Yet, he was able to hear that mysterious voice, just then. Wherever it came from, it was with the boy. Fortunately, he happens to return back online, remaining confused about the recent events._

  
Eden: **Looks like my brain just broke its circuits, there... What did I miss?**

  
Rieger: **Wh... what you missed?!**

  
Eden: **Doc, I suddenly turned off, when you started to check my "brain"... That's all I remember.**

  
Rieger: **Sure... I noticed.**

  
Eden: **Are we done?**

  
Rieger: **Yes, yes... we're... we're done here, for now.**

  
Eden: **Splendid. I was about to train my new blades. Thought I’d give ‘em a new name, y’know? Like Requiro and… Vindicta!**

  
Rieger: **Requi-... What?**

  
_The boy would draw his scythe-like blades from his forearms, showing them off to Rieger. He explains that he decided to name his weapons for fun. After all, he thought that "Intergroflux-Fused Dual-Scythes Mk. 1" or "Regenerative Energy-Powered Burst Mode Firearm Mk. 1" would be too long of a name for his gifted arsenal._

  
Eden: **You know what? Forget about that last bit. I'll head off to the training room. Still got a lot of work to do.**

  
_As Eden exits the examination room, Rieger would head to the database and make some vast changes to Eden's reports and files. Technically, he confessed that something was within him that caused all of this - from his behavior to his actions. The only odd thing that occured to Yan, was that for some reason, all of the recorded data from the cameras and microphones was broken, as if they had been jammed. Yet, it would not prevent him from noting down what has happened within that room, and how Eden's circumstances would be critical. Later that day, he seeked Marcus' attention to confront him with the status quo._

  
Marcus: **You know, I thought you were joking, back when you claimed that he'd be possessed. Now I'm worried about you actually, and whether or not you may as well have completely lost it.**

  
Rieger: **Me? Losing it? Sure. Because a normal boy levitates upside down through his room, daydreaming about whatever comes to his mind!**

  
Marcus: **Fair point, but... what are you planning to do against it?**

  
Rieger: **Simple... I'll... modify his units and... remove some features.**

  
Marcus: **You what?!**

  
Rieger: **Marc, your son is unpredictable... The next day, he might as well kill you. He even made a death threat to me! All I'm going to do, is simply disable the virtual neurological microprocessors that crontrol pain and emotions. I'm not going to turn your son into a vegetable, but into a proper aid to us.**

  
Marcus: **He's my son, Yan! Why would I agree to this?**

  
Rieger: **Because if you don't let me fix him, he'll kill us eventually! And then he'll end up worse than you may think!**

  
Marcus: **Go ahead, then... Do it…**

  
Rieger: **It'll be for the best, Marcus. I'm sorry.**

  
_After two weeks of progress, Yan manages to slowly disable the targeted units to turn Eden into a more reliable... something. You could not assume that the doctor had in mind to have Eden remain human. Instead, he would turn him into a functional killing machine. The results show improvement, as Rieger still planned on turning "Project Overwatch" into a success. Eden, or what is left of him, reaches faster times in his test runs and simulations. But his father remains sceptical. Was this really what Marcus wanted? Or is Yan plotting to take another route, ignoring the goal that they had intended in the very beginning - to save Eden Marx? At the final day, the two of them assemble all X-OOU drones and Eden to initiate the first step of their old project. Marcus would boot up Eden and have him approach his fellow army of hollow robots. All that they shared with him, except for the materials and electronics, was a potion of the his energy. And that was about it. They have different weapons, no conciousness to consider their usage, no true instinct to engage. For now, they simply rely on commands given by their leader._

  
Eden: **All units activate. I am the OW-X Prototype "Zero". The primary Experimental Omnic Operation Unit and leader of the executive of Project Overwatch. All of your actions will be committed under my command, and my command only. Shall one of you disobey, or go rogue against other units, you will be flagged and targeted for execution.**

  
_As Eden would continue to explain the situation, Marcus turns towards his colleague, wondering about what is going on. He feels uncomfortable, watching his son behave like a computer._

  
Marcus: **Yan... I…**

  
Rieger: **Shh... You don't wanna miss this, Marcus. This is the moment. What we have accomplished so far…**

  
Marcus: **So far...?**

  
Eden: **And so, your task will be to successfully execute Project Overwatch, in order to secure all goals and ultimately achieve success.**

  
_The drones would cheer in a metallic tone, supporting the leader that they had been given. Project Overwatch was ready to begin. Eden decides to turn towards the two men that allowed him to comethis far in the first place._

  
Eden: **Dr. Rieger... Mr. Marx... I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your efforts to secure me and by making this world a better place. I am honored to engage in combat to minimize all threats, and thereby maximize the capability to control the situation on this earth.**

  
Marcus: **Rieger, what is he talking about?**

  
Rieger: **The plan, Marcus. The plan of Project Overwatch.**

  
Marcus: **So the plan is what? To engage with lethal force? Is my son going to war?**

  
Rieger: **No. There won't be any wars... Just a purge.**

  
Marcus: **A purge...? W-we never planned a purge of anything.**

  
Rieger: **No, Marcus... You didn't.**

  
_Without a warning, a whole company of hundreds of mercenaries infiltrate the room. It was Talon, once again. They surrounded the entire area, making sure that their plans would succeed - whatever it was that they had in mind._

  
Marcus: **What is this...? Eden, what are you waiting for, we're being attacked!**

  
Rieger: **Marcus... It's useless. He can't hear you... Well, he can, but... he's under my command now.**

  
Marcus: **What...?**

  
Rieger: **Due to your incapability and your dangerous behavior towards the execution of Project Overwatch, you no longer have the permission to interact within our plans. I'm in charge now. There's nobody here to save you, either... The entire facility, except for us, has been evacuated. Not by me, but the government. I had chosen this very day to end what I had started.**

  
Marcus: **You...?! You didn't start anything! We did!**

  
Rieger: **Tell me, Marcus. Who provided the essentials? Who gave your son a new body? Who saved him? Who gave him arms to defend himself?! You, alone?! No... I did! And you just cared about your virtual presence of your son. "That" is not your son! He's dead, Marcus! Because of you!**

  
Marcus: **Shut up!!**

  
Rieger: **He died at that day, when he sacrificed himself to save you from Talon! And now... here we are. Again. Surrounded by men that have been sent to kill you... I never planned to have you reap all the laurels... Actually, you deserve nothing...! Except... perhaps just one compliment. If it weren't for you, for this... I would never have been able to optimize my creation. You made me push myself beyond. You showed me, that there was so much more to accomplish! Look at him… he’s the key to peace… He can end wars within minutes. He could solve world peace, put an end to this…! He is our key to the future…! But in the end, I was the one who made progress... Not you. And guess what? I am going to finish, what had started with the Titan. And in the meantime, I'll continue working on our aerial forces, the gauntlet, the drones... and Prototype "Zero", over there.**

  
Marcus: **You sick bastard... you sold us out.**

  
Rieger: **No, Marcus... I sold you out - to your own son!**

  
_The scientist would turn towards Eden, as he had raised his blaster against him, ready to neutralize his own father. There was a long pause between them, as Eden could have pulled the trigger at any moment._

  
Rieger: **Come on, then! Take him down!**

  
Marcus: **Eden, please... Listen to me!**

  
Rieger: **Just shoot him already, or we’ll all die!**

  
Marcus: **Whatever you do... Know that you won't be doing it because of him... But because you're in charge... You're my son... Not his toy! Eden... I beg you!**

  
_The processors would overheat. Whatever it was, something resisted against Eden who would kill his own father. Unable to process all of this, Eden shuts down again and thus, he engages protocol "Zero". If the leader had been deactivated during the execution of Project Overwatch, the command would be passed onto the next relative confidant. In that case, Eden just gave the command back to his father._

  
Rieger: **What is going on?**

  
Marcus: **Plan B. All drones engage against Talon troops. Secure OW-X at any price!**

  
_And so, it begins. The drones unloaded all of their cannons against Talon, seemingly outgunning their mercenaries. But there was a handicap. There were twice as many troops, as there had been drones to defend both, Eden and his father. Rieger finds himself guided to safety, as he evacuates the battlefield and heads to the roof of the facility. While the drones manage to gun down most of the enemies, Rieger calls for an aerial assault._

  
Rieger: **I want one of those airships to tear them apart! Destroy the prototype! No matter the price!**

  
_And as he commanded, one of the airships opened fire against the facility, breaking through the wall with the help of their machine guns. As the aircraft arms and locks one of their missiles at Eden, his father runs for the podium and throws him off. The missile would land right at the spot that it has been aimed at, almost directly hitting Marcus. Right at the moment when the missile detonated, Eden has restarted. The first moment he witnesses, is the explosion that would hit his father, and how it launches him through the room. To Eden, the moment lasted for minutes, when it was actually just a second. Right when Marcus hits the floor, the boy rushes over to him to check his vitals._

  
Eden: **Mr. Marx, your status is critical. You have severe wounds and burns all over-**

  
Marcus: **Don't. Please…**

  
Eden: **I was programmed to aid you in any way possible.**

  
Marcus: **You... are not programmed to do anything... You're not a machine... You're... my son…**

  
Eden: **Mr. Marx, you are unable to maintain conciousness in this state.**

  
_Suddenly, Marcus grabs his hand, having Eden connect with Marcus' mind. His units go haywire once again, but this time, he would not shut down. He embraces the moment and has his father share all of his memories with him. Unaware of it, the microprocessors that had been required, and all of the CPUs, suddenly melted into physical energy. The electronics became one with Eden's core. His emotions returned, his conciousness regaining. What has returned, was a new lifeform, if you could call it that way. Eden is no longer bound to computers or any electronics. The only thing that kept him running, was the energy that streamed through his mechanics, connecting them with his own mind. He was neither machine, nor human. He has surpassed all boundaries known to life - but for a valuable price that had to be paid._

  
Eden: **Dad...? Dad! Dad, no!! No!!!**

  
_Screaming and sobbing in agony, Eden realized that it is too late. Even if Marcus was not entirely dead, all aids would come too late. He was as good as dead. And there was nothing that Eden could have done. Nothing else that could have put him back up on his feet and rise again. Keeping the abilities that had been provided with his body, he analyzes the events, from the moment that he was shut down, up until now. However, another issue occured, when the drones considered Marcus to be dead. Eden would no longer be acknowledged to be their leader, as the connection had been terminated. Right now, Eden was a rogue within their system. But he does not care. He opens his miraculous wings and reaches up for the roof, breaking through the ceiling. His eyes glow with seemingly unlimited fury, as he shouts for his father's murderer._

  
Eden: **RIEGER!!**

  
_He breaks through the roof, and lands on it like a wild beast. The doctor was shocked at his appearance. He was ready to kill anyone that would come into his way, when he suddenly gets shocked by multiple tasers that run on almost the exact power and current as his own. Rieger turns back towards the aircraft, as he calls for it to fly away immediately. All that Eden could do, was scream in more pain. His vision blurs, as he finds himself confronted by another imagery within his mind. He can see a demonic beast rise from flames, so hot that even he could feel them. The monster would ignite its wrath and let out a scream for vengeance. It was almost the same scream as Eden's, when he was "reborn". He no longer feels the pain from the electricity running through him, disturbing his energy. His head smashes against the surface and his arms along with it, as if he were possessed. It appears, as if Eden had fallen victim to some kind of exorcism. His eyes begin to glow in a silver-blue light, followed by his mouth that would also light up. Eden's shape changes drastically, as his limbs grow out, his face breaking and falling apart. A pair of curved horns would grow upwards on his head, reaching behind him. His "true" face would resemble that of an alien skull. Whatever Eden is, or whatever he is turning into, is not from this world, or any other place known to us. The dust settles, as his figure became clear. The sharp curves and spikes over his new body marked the wild nature of an unknown beast. His “breath” rumbles, as the monster slowly rises up onto its feet. Facing towards the airships, the berserk would unleash a metallic roar, startling everyone in front of him. They try to shoot him down, not realizing that any attempt to defeat the new threat, was futile..._

  
_He draws two blasters from his arms, shooting all around him, as everything and everyone he it, began to slowly dissolve into nothingness - especially organics. He didn't bother to aim, because he knows that his destructive powers are enough to tear his enemies apart. He slices his massive blades through the bodies of the mercenaries, as if they would easily melt into liquid butter. However, the monster would miss the opportunity to take a shot on the aircrafts. But he would not give up. He roars at them, taking a solid stand and keeps on shouting, screaming in agony and wrath. However, all the sudden, a shockwave would emerge from the berserk, until the aircrafts suddenly seem to slow down. He begins to concentrate an unimaginable amount of energy to charge all of it into one attack._

  
Rieger: **What is he doing?! Get us out of here! Now!!**

  
_The aircrafts had no chance of escaping, as the energy would create a gravitational pull, keeping hold of all aircrafts. Eden was not going to let any of them escape. A blinding light would emit from Eden's position, as Rieger could feel the energy that Eden would gather. Suddenly, he absorbs all of it at once, as he opens his face, unveiling some sort of amplifying cannon within his face. A big energy beam blasts into the open, as it breaks through Rieger's aircraft with ease. Rieger's body was fading away, vaporized by all the power. All that could be heard, was his own scream for pain and mercy, followed by the rest of the airship blowing up. Eden turns his head to catch all of the aircrafts around him with his powerful beam. There was no escape, no mercy, no survivor to be left alive. After unleashing his beam, he comes to the realization that it was over. He avenged his father by killing everyone who was involved in Rieger's coup. But Eden is not done. He turns towards the facility, searching for the reactor. He flies through the buildings again, aiming right for the reactor room. It is his final task to put an end to all of this. He knows that the drones would come after him. So when he would die, he would take all of them with him. The monstrous beast would aim directly at the reactor's core, letting out another powerful beam from his face. He draws energy from physical matter, and amplifies it by adding his own emotional power. All the memories and promises he mad made, were flashing through his mind._

  
Child Eden: **Daddy! Whatcha working on?**

  
Marcus: **Something big, son! Something that would help all of us in the distant future.**

  
Child Eden: **Really? You're gonna be a hero to the entire world! And you're already my hero, as well!**

  
Marcus: **Haha, glad to hear, that you're excited.**

  
Child Eden: **Daddy, when I'll grow up, I'm planning to become a scientist just like you!**

  
Marcus: **Oh, are you now?**

  
Child Eden: **I want to do the same thing that you are doing. Help everyone like a true superhero!**

  
Marcus: **Well, you better listen up then, my superhero. Someday, you will become a hero just like your dad. And not only that, but you might actually become a bigger hero than any of us.**

  
Child Eden: **Mommy would be proud of me…**

  
Marcus: **She already is, Eden... Don't you worry about that.**

  
_His memories fuel him with sorrow, as it turns into pain, fueling him with rage. So much rage that he is about to break through and overload the entire reactor._

  
Eden: **Dad... I'm sorry. It's my fault that you have to die now. I... I couldn't stop him. I failed... I'm no true hero... I understand that you might be disappointed. I tried... and I didn't make it. Please, forgive me.**

  
Marcus: **No, Eden... I'm glad that you made it this far... I'm proud... I'm proud of you... son…**

  
_Hearing those last words from Marcus' inner conciousness, right before it fades away, overruns Eden with such rage, sadness and happiness, all at once, that he could not manage to maintain control. The silver-blue beam would ignite in a fire red light, breaking through the core and raising a massive red ray of energy into the skies. You could hear him scream in rage, as the whole sky was lit in a red tone. A bright explosion swallows most of the facility, causing everything else to explode, as well. This is the end. The end for Eden Marx, his legacy and his future. He made the ultimate sacrifice to bring peace to this world…_

  
News Reporter: **After several years of operating against the Omnic Crisis, Overwatch has come to a drastic breakdown. Their headquarters in Zurich has been destroyed due to unknown happenings within their base. As of now, Strike Commander Jack Morrison and former colleague Gabriel Reyes have been reported as missing in action. Whether they died in a battle against the Omnics, or happened to be within the facility before it had been destroyed, remains unclear. The government is currently investigating in this case, attempting to find any evidence for an accident, or perhaps a terrorist attack, planned by the infamous group called Talon. For now, all that we know, is that there were no bodies to be found within the wreckages. Stay tuned for more info in the following weeks!**

  
_The dust settled. All that is left, is a ruin of the Titan and its current replacement, "Overwatch". Between the shattered pieces of concrete, a weak light would start to glow. Eden is still alive. He survived the explosion. He breaks out of the pile of wreckages and looks around himself. He destroyed everything. It was all him. Slowly realizing what he has done, Eden's body is regenerating itself. The Integroflux of which his body is made of, truly works wonders._

  
?: **It was that day, that marked, what they had assumed, to be the end of my revenge. They thought, I was done... that I have finished my work and fulfilled my purpose. But I haven't. I never will. I brought all of this here... The chaos, the greed, the power... I am the catalyst. I am the reason behind everything. The beginning of a crisis. The birth, and the death of an alliance, founded to serve in the name of our world. But they were condemned... by the very people who they had tried to protect. They don't understand. I am here to make them. Who am I? I am Eden Marx, one of many reincarnations, to serve one ultimate purpose - to undo and prevent all crimes against our existence. I am the boy that they had once trusted. I am... Simikiel.**

  
_The boy would approach a cliff, glancing over the horizon of the rising sun, towards a beautiful city, shining and bathing within the sunlight. A cloak out of the absorbed materials would clothe Simikiel's cybernetic body, as he forms a collar around his neck, followed by a chrome-plated layer of Integroflux, surrounding his face. He puts the hood over this mask and keeps glaring into the distance._

 

?: **I may not be the hero that you want. I may not be a hero, at all. But this world does need heroes. And I will show them just how much they'll need them. I am Overwatch. I am watching. And I am fighting.**


	2. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, that one didn't go well. Now, I feel guilty for all that's happened, so far... It's not like I want to be credited, or anything. I just don't think, they deserved this! If they are supposed to get back on their feet, I am going to need somebody who knows how to get into things. And I think, I just found the right person for the job...
> 
> Sure, she poked the hornet's nest, when she stumbled upon a trace of Project Overwatch, and I had to shut her down, at first. However, come to think of it, I did not expect anyone to genuinely make it "this" far! Kudos to her...
> 
> This is what pre-school terrorist training, disguised as an orphanage and decades of fraud, hacking and connecting with crucial ties, all around the world, seems to pay out. A now 30-year old notorious hackling, doing the spy work for Talon. Recording private sessions, faking information, leaking other information, yada-yada-yada...
> 
> Should I really tell her about her story? I mean... Could she handle it? Oh well... Guess, she'll just have to swallow it. Let's hope, they can be negotiated with... I'd rather "not" harm any of them... unless, I really have to.

_ 01 - 03 - 2077 / Unknown Location, Mexico / Talon Stronghold "Gamma" _

#    
**_"Nightmares"_**

  
?:  **You remember the old cartoons, don't you? Cat vs. Mouse - The mouse usually wins. Why...? Why is that so? Because the cat is too much of a moron to get the job done? Yes... that, too. But I was more likely referring to what it could have done in order to make the job a whole lot easier. Most importantly, do not just ask yourselves how to get the mouse out of the hole, but how to make sure that it cannot escape into said hole anymore. Trap it in a big room, let it run around, trying to find a way out... until it eventually might just give in, and surrender. And if it doesn't... Well, I assume you know how to get the job done.**

  
_ Something starts to boot up. A buzzing noise emerges, as if something was charging. Along the tubes, a bright light brightens the area. The machine works. It starts to rumble, ready to engage. The preparations have been made. Patience... The machine is almost ready...A brown fluid starts to flow out of it. It seems to be rather thick, releasing an awakening scent. The creamy topping gives it the final touch. The cup was now filled, with a fresh espresso, as it suddenly starts to levitate. Once again, it actually turns out to be "her", playing around with the coffee machine. She grabs the cup and walks to her workplace. _

  
?:  **Everything starts with an idea. Rules, plans for these rules and executing them, too. But remember: You could have an average person, and a professional, both trying to find a solution for the very same thing. One of them has an idea, which he theorizes. Then, he puts his theory into practice by experimenting. He receives a result, but it's not the solution. Where did he go wrong, you may ask? Did he make false calculations? Perhaps, he lacked the right conditions? Maybe his experiment went wrong? Well, it appears that our fellow professional already made a mistake at the very beginning. He had the wrong idea. But what about the average person, then? He found the solution, without simply experimenting and testing, but by actually doing something. He had no idea what he was doing. This raises the question: Do we always need to have an idea of something? Can't we just skip straight ahead to the solution? We could, but this would require the question not to be asked in the first place. To constantly act by instinct. And this is why the Cartoon mouse always wins. It doesn't need an idea how to run from the Cat. It just runs. Our very own instinct, ovecoming our conciousness, which itself emerged from our very instinct... Makes sense, doesn't it? Which raises the question: What does that make you? The cat, or the mouse?**

  
_ She gets herself seated in the black leather chair, which she considers to be so comfortable, she could count trojans on it. Of course, she was just joking around... Booting up the screen and accessing the browser, Sombra awaited further commands from her colleagues. _

  
Sombra:  **Let me tell you, there is nothing better than a hot coffee at 4 o' clock in the morning. That, and spying on people and watching them do embarassing things, as their failures end up on almost any media platform.**

  
Talon Merc #1:  **Technically, that's an espresso. Not exactly a co-**

  
Sombra:  **No, no, no... quiet now. Keep quiet, keep quieeeeet…**

  
_ The mercenary would release a sigh of depression and disappointment, as he leaves her doing what she is known for to be best at - hacking. Usually, on every monday, the UN would hold another speech to keep everyone up-to-date. On some occasions, Sombra tends to play around and add a few graphics to confuse the audience. Today, however, the UN cancelled their speech due to an urgent meeting with Gabrielle Adawe and the former CEOs of Omnica Corporation. Whatever was the matter, they did not comment on the situation. But that is no concern for the notorious hacker. She had plenty of other things to do, such as manage the latest intel, inform scouts and other bases to make sure, they proceed properly. But even so, Sombra is still interested in the meeting that the UN is having. Thus, she proceeds to hack into the channel, administrating the cameras and finding the camera for the meeting room. It was guarded by soldiers, making sure that the CEOs would be neutralized, in case they should attempt something. _

  
UN Member #1:  **So, you are trying to tell us that you have no idea what this is about?**

  
Omnica CEO #1:  **If so, we would probably be dead by now. By any means, sir. We have never seen something like this before.**

  
UN Member #1:  **Really? Is that so?**

  
UN Member #2:  **Whatever the signal emitted, somehow leads to Omnica. Which means-**

  
Omnica CEO #2:  **If you allow me to interrupt you, ma'am. We've seen the signal. And we have also noticed that something hinted to Overwatch, too. What about that?**

  
UN Member #3:  **That is exactly the problem. As far as we could conclude, you and Overwatch seem to have some sort of relation to each other. And as you should remember, the IJC announced the Petras Act, which deems any Overwatch activity to be illegal. And even if you do not directly belong to them, something must be happening between the two of you. Which means, you are just as guilty as they would be.**

  
Adawe:  **I don't think so... I believe that whatever the signal was, or wherever it came from, does neither have any connection to Overwatch, nor to Omnica. It could be anyone. What about Talon?**

  
UN Member #1:  **Talon is busy, stealing things and perhaps assasinating another important person, like Mondatta. And even if so, we wouldn't have anything against them, due to them being one step ahead of us, all the time! And all this, just because of this Sombra, or whatever they are…**

  
Sombra:  **That's me.**

  
_ Watching the drama in her seat, another mercenary approaches Sombra, asking her to listen. _

  
Talon Merc #2:  **Miss Sombra? Our team has gathered something that may be quite interesting for you to know.**

  
_ He hands her a flash drive, containing whatever it is that the mercenary is speaking of. _

  
Sombra:  **Oh, and what's that supposed to be?**

  
Talon Merc #2:  **Well... our men have... checked on your history. And we found out about a certain incident-**

  
_ She would turn to him, glaring at his nervous expression with a furious temper, as he continues. _

  
Talon Merc #2:  **I just thought, you would... you know... be informed about-**

  
Sombra:  **Look, if this is about Volskaya, I had no idea what happened there. Now would you please excuse me and let me b-**

  
_ The moment, she accesses the flash drive, her breath stops for a moment. The pictures show ancient relics, depicting indefinable symbols - perhaps, an ancient language? She recognizes the big symbol on one of the pillars, however. An eye in the center, surrounded by six dots around it, three above and three below. _

  
Talon Merc #2:  **The Vigilant's Eye, Miss...** **  
** **He explains that he thought of it being of her interest, due to the fact that this eye is the only thing she remembers about her exposure... This eye, is what she considers to be the center of a massive conspiracy, involving Overwatch, Talon, everyone. The thing is, the more she found out about the conspiracy, the earlier the conspiracy found her, almost leading to her very exposure.**

  
Sombra:  **What else do you know?**

  
Talon Merc #2:  **About the eye? Well, thing is that the relic itself, leads back to thousands of years before existence itself, at least. The problem about it, is that we could not decipher those writings, hieroglyphs or whatever they are, even if they do resemble today's Omnic alphabet, apparently.**

  
Sombra:  **A resemblance? Interesting... Yeah, I'll take a look at it. Maybe I could help you out.**

  
Talon Merc #2:  **What are you watching there?**

  
Sombra:  **Oh, that. No big deal. I guess, you have better things to do as of now.**

  
Talon Merc #2:  **Actually, yes... I need to go on patrol and guard the entrance. In the meantime, try finding something out about the relics.**

  
Sombra:  **Si, amigo!**

  
_ Whilst the mercenary makes his way outside to keep an eye out for potential intruders, a shilouette emerges from the shadows. It is too dark to tell who or what it is. The only remarkable assets were a cloak with a hood, and its entire head being covered by a mask, showing the reflection of his surroundings. It was slowly approaching the stronghold's entrance. In the meantime, Sombra was gathering more and more information about that "Eye". Where did it come from? Who is behind this? And what does she have to do with it? So many questions, yet there was no time for all of them to be answered... The masked being approaches the first guards in front of the gate. _

  
Talon Guard #1:  **Hey, who do you think you are, just strolling around at a place like that?**

  
_ The masked one stops and slowly glares at the guard without a single word coming out of his mouth. _

  
Talon Guard #1:  **How about I rip that ugly mask off your face, if you won't lea-**

  
_ But before the guard could finish his sentence, the unknown raised its hand, letting out a shining light - a light which purified the guard in a short moment, leaving no trace behind. The only thing that could be heard, was a last scream, before the guard had completely vanished. The alarm has been triggered, the sirens start to howl and buzz from everywhere, flashing red lights - Somebody was intruding the stronghold. Sombra's session is being interrupted, as she immediately reacts by searching the cameras for the intruder. Eventually, she would notice the masked intruder. The only problem was, that he had noticed her, too. All of the sudden, every screen around Sombra turned red, with an eye and six dots around it. The Vigilant's Eye. It is just like last time, when she had been exposed. _

  
?:  **Trying to outrun the inevitable, "Sombra"? Your efforts are just as futile as they always had been. Eventually, everything shall be revealed. Every secret, every truth…**

  
_ Shocked by the déja-vu, Sombra falls down to the ground, hysterically, frightened... She knows, that she is no longer invisible again. Her story repeats itself. Trying to regain control over all system, somebody is contacting Sombra for help. _

  
Talon Merc #2: **Sombra! This is a...** _(muffled static noises)_ **... your position...** _(muffled static noises)_ **... Are you alright?**

  
Sombra:  **What is going on?!**

  
Talon Merc #2: **Unidentified intruder!** _(muffled static noises)_ **You have to go! Now, before it finds-**

  
_ But once again, an unknown noise, followed by a scream, cuts off the connection. The mercenaries must have fallen victim to the masked intruder, as well. She has no other choice, but to run. Making her way, to find someone else to guard her, she initiates all emergency doors and mechs to defend the stronghold. The intruder would stumble upon one of those mechs. It would raise its cannons and missiles against him and prepare to unload everything it has. But before it does so, it suddenly starts going haywire. The intruder must be able to control it. He re-programs it and lets it hunt for more Talon mercenaries. Meanwhile, he would simply shatter every door in front of him, without even raising a hand - as if he simply used his mind to devastate his way forward. The mech would turn on the mercenaries, decimating everyone of them, piece by piece, even taking on the other mechs. Eventually, it would shoot open the door that leads to the main control room. He enters the room, gathering all the intel he can find, including the very flash drive with the relics. _ __   
_ Sombra finds another guard, as she asks where the others are. They would follow the mech and shoot it down, supported by Sombra, who luckily hacked its weaponry systems. Returning to the main control room, she would find it to be destroyed and blown into pieces, when she suddenly sees a flashing light. Another group of screaming Talon fighters... gone... Without hesitation, Sombra runs away, as fast as she can. But right after passing the next pair of doors, he is there. Right in front of her, when he should have been behind her. Sombra cannot move. She has to think. What could she possibly do to outsmart the intruder? As menacing as he appears, he seems to stand idle without preparing any attack, whatsoever. She takes this chance, by throwing a teleporter through his legs, right behind him, as she teleports herself behind him... Except that he isn't in front of her, anymore. But slowly, she realizes that he is behind her. _ _   
_ __ She turns around, shooting her entire magazine at the intruder. But the bullets would not hit him. Instead, they seem to levitate right in front of his face. The bullets drop onto the floor. Whatever this thing is, they did a mistake by attacking it. Sombra reaches back to gain distance from the intruder. She notices that his arms do not seem to be organic. Perhaps, she is dealing with a robot - a robot that she could hack? She raises her hand, throwing her strings after him. They enter his chest, as she is victorious to enter him... But she slowly realizes that something is off. He does not seem to resist. He just stands there.

  
?:  **Hmph... I was hoping that you were smarter than this.**

  
_ Suddenly, the pink strings turn into a silver blue, as they infiltrate Sombra herself. He countered the hack. Sombra cannot move; she cannot run away any longer. _

  
?:  **Allow me to show you something... truly interesting.**

  
_ He raises his hand at her, when the whole room starts to rumble. A storm of wind, passing the corridor, as everything around them is starting to shake. Sombra could not believe her own eyes. The wall is falling off, revealing a white void. The floor crashes, even the ceiling seems to fly away. She tries to hold onto something, when the masked one releases a slight pulse from his hand. The doors reveal more of the white void, when Sombra is being dragged through those doors. Blinded by the light, Sombra suddenly realizes that she is still falling. She opens her eyes to find herself falling from the sky. She unleashes a scream of panic, as the unknown intruder flies after her. _ _   
_ _ She is throwing her limbs through the air, unable to maintain a balance, when she suddenly gets grabbed by the masked one. Together, they dash downwards through the clouds. She screams even louder, when he suddenly brakes mid-air. He appears to have a pair of thrusters below his cloak. They carefully land on the grass, as he puts her down on her feet. Sombra is opening her eyes, asking herself what just happened. A few seconds ago, she was inside the building at the very early morning. Now, it is suddenly in the middle of the afternoon. She finds herself in the middle of a wide open landscape, facing a village in the middle of nowhere. _

  
Sombra:  **Wha-... what is this?**

  
?:  **As I was saying... everything shall be revealed.**

  
_ The two of them, make their way to the village. It seems familiar to her. Everything about it feels native. The language, the people, the overall atmosphere. Sombra feels like she has been to this place, once before. _

  
Sombra:  **Where are we...?**

  
?:  **Home... Your home, at least.**

  
Sombra:  **Bernal…**

  
?:  **Surprise! Welcome back to the future! It’s the year 2046, we’re right in the final phase before Overwatch is officially happening. Of course, there’s some other stuff going on here and there, buuut~ let’s not lose track of what we’re here for… Speaking of which: Any idea, what we’re here for?**

  
Sombra:  **I... I don't know.**

  
_ Sombra and the unknown take a stroll through the small town. She is looking around, trying to make out where she is heading with him. A bunch of oncoming villagers simply bump into her, as if they did not even see her at all. _

  
Sombra:  **Watch where you're going, idiota!**

  
_ Glaring back at the man who just bumped into her, accompanied by two other men with an interesting tattoo on their necks, she realizes that something about this whole scene is fishy. The men wore the Talon symbol on their neck. Were they agents of any sort? Maybe they were assasins, hired to kill someone? Sombra has no idea, and thus turns back to the masked man. _

  
?:  **Don't bother. They can't see us. We're like ghosts to them - spirits, skulking through this village. Technically, we aren't even here.**

  
Sombra:  **Ok, I've had enough of your baloney. Can you tell me what's going on?**

  
?:  **These men who you just bumped into... they're agents sent by Talon. They're operating in Bernal for exactly 3 months, 2 weeks, 5 days and-**

  
Sombra:  **Enough, I get it! All I wanted to know is why they are... or "were" here.**

  
?:  **For the exact same reason why we are here today, Sombra. They are looking for someone.**

  
_ Together, the two of them, walk down an alley, as they stop, standing next to a small house which is paired with other houses in a row. _

  
Sombra:  **And who are we looking for, huh?**

  
?:  **Tell me, you seem to remember your home... do you recognize that woman back there, too?**

  
_ He hints on the seated lady, sitting in a hut. She seems to have a conversation with a young man, about her age - her fiancé, as it seems. _

  
?:  **I'll give you a hint. Nobody knows her better than you do, Sombra. As a matter of fact, you should know her "inside out".**

  
_ Sombra opens her eyes as she cannot believe who they have spotted. She knows exactly who that woman is. She even recognizes the man who is seated with her. It must be none other than "her". _

  
Sombra:  **Mama…**

  
?:  **Bingo. Sweet Miss Colomar, with her “new” lover, right there... But that's another story, even though we might get to that, as well. However, aside from that, something must have happened what caused you to lose Mommy and Daddy, leading to your journey to an orphanage, right? Let's recap, you lost your parents during the Omnic Crisis, if I remember correctly.**

  
Sombra:  **Where is this going? Why are you even bringing th-**

  
?:  **Enough with that act, Sombra. You're not that stupid, are you? Look, I understand that you weren't told "everything" about your past, and that not even everything you know, is actually true... Keep in mind, this was 30 years ago. What happened back then? The crisis broke out, Overwatch came, then Blackwatch, which then turned into an alternative version of Talon, which was already present way earlier than those 30 years... And speaking of the crisis, someday, it came... here. Out of nowhere, rockets flying straight into the buildings. Just look at that tiny little tower back there, rising up higher than those houses. Every day, the people of Bernal would look up to that tower and think of peace and safety. And all the sudden, a missile flew by, and it just went... Boom.**

  
_ His words came true, when a missile actually flies straight into a watchpoint, followed by a whole hoard of explosives and masked soldiers striking the village. In a matter of seconds, everything escalated, resulting in explosions, loud gunfire and a massive bloodbath. The mercenaries came without a single warning. The houses collapse, the dust is rising. Bernal is on fire. Everywhere on the streets, men and women with their children, run all across the village, trying to find a safe place. Yet, none of them succeeded. The soldiers shoot at everyone. There was no mercy for anyone. Finding herself in a crowd of frightened villagers, running away from here, Sombra is trying to make out her mother's location. But it appears that she was being carried away by the crowd that tried to evacuate Bernal. _

  
Sombra's Mother:  **Wait! Let me go! My child! Sombra! Sombra!! Where is my child? Stop!**

  
_ Sombra was shouting after her, forgetting that she did not exist like that in the past. Her mother could not hear her, or even see her, at all. Suddenly, another gunner aims directly at Sombra, shooting right at her. She manages to dodge the bullets, as she makes her way out of the danger zone. Hiding inside of an almost wrecked hut, she notices a battalion of troops marching through, searching for survivors. She quickly realizes that these troops were connected to Talon, when she stares at a tattoo, hidden around the exposed neck area of one soldier. There was more to it, however. Those inhuman abilities, almost “above” any human lifeform? Sombra knows exactly where those soldiers stem from. The Soldier Enhancement Program. Whatever their mission was, remains unclear, to this very day. _

  
_ Everything around Sombra has been entirely devastated. The entire village is a broken down battlefield. None of the houses were standing, nobody was on the streets, except for the troops. Sombra is alone - with the masked man by her side. _

  
?:  **And so it happened. Bernal was history. Oh, and don't bother looking for any survivors. They either ran as far as they could, until they were gunned down, or they died within the wrecked buildings. Of course, there were some survivors who they took as... temporary prisoners. But they didn't last for long, either. Men, women, even children. A human troop would not be able to withstand this bloodshed just like that. So they went the old-fashioned route: Less for more. Less humanity, more efficiency. But, perhaps there was a silver lining, considering that there may have been at least one survivor.**

  
_ Sombra looks around herself, finding the troops to carry a bunch of body bags with them. Her heart was racing. So far, she did not see her mother amongst the victims. She was going crazy. _

  
Sombra:  **Wait... where's my mother? Did she... Did she make it?**

  
_ The masked one turns to her, remaining silent for a moment, when he looks into another direction. _

  
?:  **I suggest you not to turn around, if you really want to believe that.**

  
_ Curious about what he means, Sombra turns her around to see her mother, kneeling down in front of the troops. She was sobbing her daughter's name. Sombra's eyes were getting wet when she saw her mother like that. A cloaked troop approaches her and pulls out a shotgun. He stands right in front of her, blocking Sombra's view... Bang! She fell down to the floor, painting the asphalt with the color her blood. Sombra was shaking, just like her breath. She had to witness the very execution of her own mother. The very person that was the most important to her. _

  
Sombra:  **Mama...!!**

  
_ Breaking out in tears, she falls onto her knees. Was that the reason why he brought Sombra to this place? To witness her parents' death? Her mind was crushed by the traumatic experience when the masked one stands in front of her. _

  
Sombra:  **Is that it? Was that why you brought me here...? Just to show me all of that?!**

  
?:  **No... not that. You were already aware of your loss. I didn't bring you here to show you something that you already knew about... But of course, you survived this massacre somehow. I wonder how you made it out of Bernal…**

  
_ Suddenly, a few babies shout into the sky, all alone, left by their dead parents. The troops approach the buildings, making out their location. It only took a matter of seconds to silence the babies... forever. Yet, there was still one baby heard, screaming its lungs out. The masked one lead Sombra to the wrecked building in which, the baby would have been found. She looks through the broken walls, finding a small baby, wrapped in a white towel. It had a tanned skin, purple eyes and a mole below its left eye. The baby stopped screaming when it saw that someone was close to it. _

  
Sombra:  **Oh god... No, no…**

  
?:  **Yes... that is who we were looking for, Sombra. Your past... literally, your past self. And now watch what happens to that lonely, little baby.**

  
_ The troops get the baby out of the wrecked hut, taking it with them. Unlike all the other ones, they decided to keep her alive. _

  
?:  **The orphanage was just a façade. You were never saved. You were stolen, taken by Talon. Only to evolve into the notorious hacker that you are today. It was all planned, by the very man who decided to "take care of your mother", just now. Such irony... and it gets even better. Wait until you get to see that nasty mug of a face, belonging to the man, responsible for ruining your "normal" life!**

  
_ She slowly walks backwards, as she turns around, only to jump and fall back. The man who had killed Sombra's mother, was standing right in front of her. Trying to crawl back, the cloaked man came closer. He grabs her by her jacket, pulling her up to show his face to her. Sombra was screaming at his exposed face. His eyes were glowing red, his nose chopped off. The skin was marked by scars and burns everywhere. It was almost, as if he had no face anymore. He looked directly into her eyes, calling her by her name in a rough, dried out voice, as if he was almost dead by now. Sombra screams when she tries to escape his grip. She shakes her head from side to side, trying to break free, when she falls down. She opens her eyes, only to find herself back in the Stronghold. When and how did she get back there? Where did the cloaked man go? What just happened? Sombra is absolutely clueless, as she looks up to the masked one. _

  
?:  **Welcome back. Even though, you never physically left this place.**

  
Sombra:  **I never...? Then what just...?**

  
?:  **Consider that your very first live experience of your own memories. We did not actually travel back in time, but instead, you and I went on a trip through your mind. That ugly face you saw at the last moment, by the way, that was not his real face... I mean... it wasn't his real face back then, y'know?**

  
_ He would laugh, as if he knew something that Sombra does not. Who was the killer of her mother? Why is he bringing that up? And what happened around them, when Sombra was inside of her own head? _

  
Sombra:  **How much time has passed 'till now?**

  
?:  **In your mind, or in reality...?**

  
_ Realizing that all of this took place in less than two seconds, Sombra glares directly into the reflection of the mask, seeing her own frightened expression. She was afraid of whatever that masked being was. She was afraid of what else it might be capable of. And she is still afraid of what else he might know about her. _

  
?:  **Well, I'd say that the procedure took about 2 to 3 seconds. Which means, nothing else has happened so far. But I'd like to ask you another question... Do you know, why I did this to you?**

  
Sombra:  **You said, you were looking for my past... What for?**

  
?:  **You tell me, Olivia Colomar... or was it... Reyes?**

  
_ Everything around her stops immediately. Even her own heart skipped her beat along with her breath just stopping. Nothing but silence emerged within the corridor. _

  
?:  **I was trying to remind you of who you truly are, since they clearly made you forget about that. You did not just simply make your own way through this cold-blooded world, with the help of some criminal friends of yours, only to become Sombra. You are not some arbitrary hero who turned out to be the sole survivor of a full frontal assault. No... They raised you from ground up, turning you into a weapon - a weapon which would serve to their own purposes. Your friends were their friends, too. And yet, why would somebody go through all of this? What was all the trouble about? Did they just pick a lucky winner? Was it some kind of sick-minded Darwinism? Or was it just the leader of a small group of heroes, going crazy when his old friend suddenly takes his place, and at the same time, his supposed wife left him for lacking the capability to be a great father to his child?**

  
_ She looks down on the floor, as the masked one simply walks around her, continuing to ramble on about her true story. _

  
?:  **Turns out it was just that. So he was taking revenge, and after that, he went on and took you away from your mother, attempting to prove her wrong. And the results clearly state that he already failed at the moment when she left the man who would turn out to have such a disgusting face - just as disgusting as his lack of manners. What a despicable father. And yet, I'm sure you still love him for... whatever he might have done. Maybe he spared you... but was it truly an act of love? That's why parents are there for, after all. To receive the love of their children, and give it back to them.**

  
Sombra:  **You... you sure must be speaking from experience.**

  
_ All the sudden, he zooms right in front of her face, his mask almost touching her forehead. A long silence enters the room, as if he was about to end her for good. Sombra can clearly see her own reflection within the mask. Her eyes have gone red and glassy. He rests his hand on her cheek, wiping off the tears from her face. _

  
?:  **Your eyes have only seen the pain that you were feeling, Olivia - you alone... You have such beautiful eyes, dear.**

  
_ Voices can be heard from the facility. A squad must be coming near to secure Sombra. The voices are getting louder, as they approach the two of them. _

  
?:  **Maybe that is why he truly spared you. Every time, he looks inside of your eyes... they remind him of her... he still loves her. The very woman who he killed in an act of blind fury.**

  
_ Before the squad would arrive, he would hand her a small amulet with the Overwatch symbol on it. _

  
?:  **You want to find answers? This is where you should start looking for them. But beware. Don't follow the path, you are being given. Walk your own. The secret to all truths does not remain within your mind, neither does it rest within your very heart. Your eyes are both, window and mirror to your very soul. Your soul will hold the secret. But ask yourself this…**

  
_ A couple of seconds later, the troops arrived, finding the Stronghold to be vandalized. There was no sight of Sombra or any culprits. Followed by the squad, another man arrives at the scene, looking down on the mercenaries. His breath was heavy as ever, and his mood being furious, as usual. _

  
Reaper:  **Where is she?**

  
_ Sombra finds herself outside of the facility, hiding behind the trees as she uncloaks herself. The sun is already rising, blinding her view for a moment. She looks back onto the amulet which he passed on to her. Is this the destination? Is this the path for her to walk? Is this just a clue for her to find her own path? Wandering through the landscape, the masked one observes her from a distance. _

  
?:  **Your eyes are both, window and mirror to your very soul. Your soul will hold the secret. But ask yourself this. If you stumbled upon a blind man, who never had the chance to see the world with his own eyes, how would he find his way? How would he reply if you asked him this question? Simple: My body and soul are one and two. My soul guides my body to places I could never see for myself. It shows me things that I would never be able to enjoy with my own eyes. Not because I'm blind, but because I have forgotten. My soul is of everlasting presence. It is a third eye, showing me another world from another perspective. A world created from my memories. Memories that would never fade away. I don't need my eyes to see this world for what it is. All I need is a guardian within me. A guardian to lead me wherever I will go. Someone, or something, who can I watch over. And something that watches over me. Close your eyes, and you will see a world that only you will be able to understand, for it is your own world… And so, this leads us to a new beginning. The girl has returned, and she is back on track, following her destiny. She does not need to know where to go, even if she had an idea. She just goes. She does not think, neither does she follow her basic instinct. She lets her own soul guide her throughout her journey. She does not ask herself the question where she had to go to find the solution. She simply knows the solution. Yet, she does not know what the solution might be about, better yet, how to obtain it. Therefor, she tries to let go of conciousness and instinct, attempting to enter a world in between. Not a literal world, but more of a spiritual level of her own presence. This is the secret to all truths. And as charming as this may sound, allow me to break your vision and remind you: Our world is not a cartoon. The mouse dies, whether it dies to the cat, or a man. Because it still follows its instincts, blinded by its own eyes, fooling it by making it believe, it can hide somewhere else. Its conciousness would take too much time, keeping the mouse from running in the first place. Sombra believed to be the cat, when she was the mouse. Now, she is just a girl with a rather difficult backstory. Let me welcome you to our cruel reality. If you truly believe, you've seen it all... think again.**   



	3. Delusions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember the last time, somebody said: "Darn, King's Row is such a boring place to be?" Well, guess what. It truly is boring! Talon shows up, one of the ol' Overwatch agents was there, too... And an Omnic got shot. It's almost as if somebody wanted to provoke a war... But who? Who could possibly-...?
> 
> Oh yeah, I forgot who I was dealing with for a moment, there... 
> 
> Turns out, they're already retreating from King's Row. Their next stop would be Venice, but unfortunately, I've been told that there has been a change of plans, regarding the course of their flight, resulting in an emergency landing. When did that happen? It didn't... yet. Who told me this? I did... myself. You can probably tell, where this is leading to...
> 
> By the way, you might be wondering what happened to poor Olivia after our encounter... I guess, she ran away, towards the very next sign of Overwatch, ultimately offering herself to them... Who knows? Fairly enough, Sombra was not a brain-washed, jacked up killing "machine"... But don't worry... Even machines can be squashed, just like tiny spiders. 
> 
> And from the Eiffel Tower, I must say, everyone down there looks like an insect to me...

_ 04 - 13 - 2077 / Paris, France / Within a Talon Airship… _

 

#  “Delusions”

 

_ The sky was only slightly covered in clouds. The wind slithering through the horizon, like a spider would approach its next prey. Such an example with tempting legs, a malicious stinger and perhaps the coldest eyes, a woman like her could ever have, not that there is anyone else coming close to her, just happened to sit within a VTOL hovering above the French skyline. She held her gun, inspecting it for any scratches or malfunctioning parts. After all, she prefers to be prepared for what may come into her scope. Amélie Lacroix, perhaps the most femme and most fatale of all. The assasin that caused a major outrage by putting an end to Mondatta, takes her time within the escort to count the amount of men she had already put an end to. But every time, she begins to count, she needs to start over again. It is not that she cannot count the infinite amount of targets and kills, but the fact that the very first person she had killed, just would not fade out of her memories. A tall, black-haired man, standing beside her in a smoking. She wore a dress, as white as pure innocence may have implied. However, this very innocence had been replaced by a brainwashed killing machine, trained and tamed for the sole purpose of functioning as a weapon, rather than a human being. Just like the human being she had killed a couple of weeks later. The man in the suit, right next to her, was Gerard Lacroix. _

 

?:  **Pyramids are yet a myth to the human race. Of course, I could confirm that it was in fact, a small column of aliens that were fascinated by mathematics, and especially geometry, that built those massive and precisely-measured tombs. But that is not the kind of pyramid that I was going to adress. I was thinking of a pyramid implied to a system. At the very bottom, the majority, being the defenseless prey, and on top of it, the sole predator, seeking for more bloodlust and satisfaction. Now get this… what if we stopped looking at the pyramid, and look at those above said pyramid, who constructed it in the first place? Aren’t they above the entire pyramid, after all? Well, they are. But they don’t want anything to do with it, as it’s been completed. Now it’s up to those within the pyramid to set the motion going. And that is what you refer to as Deism. I’ll admit, as cruel as it sounds, there is also a certain event called “Judgement Day”, being mentioned in the “so holy” Bible… To explain it briefly to you, it means that you’ll either be saved from an ass-kicking, or you’ll be damned to experience said ass-kicking. It’s all up to you to make up for the outcome. All you have to do… is give it your best shot.**

 

_ Somewhere on an arbitrary building, an arm reaches up to the sky, aiming for the aircraft which is about to pass by. All the sudden, the arm starts to deform, splitting into a mechanical construct, resembling a railgun. Whoever it may have been, seems to be patient however, as it waits for the right moment to unleash the blast. Just right when the aircraft was above the stranger, giving him a dead angle to strike from, it shoots directly at the thrusters and hits them just at the right spot. A sudden quake hits the aircraft, as everything within starts to shake. The VTOL is losing altitude, as the pilot makes the attempt to pull their machine back upwards. But it was no use. They were dropping lower. The last efforts, their pilot could make, is not to end in a crash that would kill everyone. And so, he manages to land just in front of the “Nouveaux Louvre” museum. And he succeeded… except that everyone else died from the crash, except Widowmaker, that is. She was just as clueless as anyone else would have been, about who, what, where from and why it happened.  _

 

Widowmaker:  **Talon, awaiting response. This is Widowmaker. The bird hit the ground, repeat, bird has hit the ground, standby… Talon… Talon, come in! Merde!**

 

_ All attempts were futile. The connection was cut. However, this could not be predicted. Neither the attack, nor the sudden dead zone. This is a straight assault that has been aimed towards the aircraft and the crew within it. Sombra remained out of question. She may have deserted Talon, but just that begs the question: Where else could she have gone to? And to whom? Aside from that, Widowmaker is unaware of one thing. Even though her entire crew may have been eliminated, she clearly was not alone. An anthropomorphic figure, standing on a distant rooftop, decides to spectate Talon’s most-reliable assassin. It watches her enter the museum, as he remains seemingly motionless in the very distance. A face was nowhere to be seen, just a glossy reflection, resembling a mirrored image of what stood in front of the unknown - in a literal term, that is. The seemingly fearless survivor makes her way inside the hall. She does not expect to find a way to re-establish the connection, meaning that any attempt to reach out for help would result in failure, hence she hides within the facility from any other threats that may come close to her. Everything seemed quiet - a little too quiet for Widow. After all, this is a well-known museum that she just decided to walk into. Yet, there was no sight of any security bots, whatsoever. It was… dead inside. But just when she thought that she would be all by herself, an Omnic crawls out of the dark shadows. It was severely damaged, its legs being torn off, the torso ripped open. From all that could Widowmaker could make up, this was the usual OR-15 model, used for security priorities. But who decided to tear this Omnic apart like that? After all, Talon’s assassin just got inside, and she already comes across the damaged Omnic. It would not take long, until the machine gave up and dies in front of her. But was Widowmaker truly alone? She could still hear grunting noises and mechanic steps. In the distance, she makes out a pair of electric indigo-colored eyes and a shape that does not resemble the average Omnic. It may have been just as tall, but it looked a lot more modern. It was black, elegantly shaped, with edges and curves to imply both, perfection and danger. Suddenly, a hoard of those black robots surrounds her, as she uses her hook to gain some height. In a swift move, she leaves a toxic grenade on the floor, hoping that it would have an effect. But it didn’t. The drones simply looked up, as their arms transformed into blasters, shooting right after their target. One of them even decided to jump after the woman, throwing her off, down to the ground. Pinned down by an angry machine, she slides through its legs, before it could crack her head like an egg. She shot right at the machine’s head, multiple times. But her bullets did not do a lot for her. They barely even impaled the robot’s skull. It almost seemed as if it was invulnerable. She ran away, as she thought of another plan. If she could not harm the robots, what else could help? She saw her path being blocked by another drone, shooting right after her. She dodges the plasma projectile, as it goes straight through the torso of the robot that was right behind her. It was then, when she got an idea: If she cannot harm them herself, she would have to make them harm themselves. Reaching out her hand, to shoot another grappling hook, she would aim towards the drone in front of her. However, to her own surprise, the machine decides not to dodge the oncoming hook, but to grab it and pull Widow straight towards it. As she flies towards the machine, she holds onto its head, as it decides to get her off, whilst being shot by the other drones. One shot manages to blow away the drone’s skull, causing it to go haywire. Widowmaker does everything she can to hold onto the machine, as it shoots all around itself. With a bit of coordination and luck, the uncontrollable drone guns down the other robots, minimizing their amount to only one of them being left, being this very drone until it falls down onto the floor… Somehow, Widowmaker managed to outsmart those machines, when she takes a closer look at the back of the machinery, as she glances through a hole caused by the projectiles. She notices the electronics and a circuit board, having a certain description engraved onto it: _

 

_ “Experimental Omnic Operation Unit #00385271 ; Property of  _ ░░░░░░ _ ; Authorized by UN 2030” _

 

_ According to that, these robots were new Omnic prototype models, being constructed way before the first and common Omnics were actually introduced worldwide. This does not make any sense. Why would the government give the order to produce new Omnics if they had not planned to release them? Unless, these Omnics would serve other purposes… _

 

?: **Bravo, you are one of the first people to figure out how to destroy something that the simple likes of you are unable to harm by themselves. At least I wouldn’t have to take care of the Neo-Omnics, myself. Instead, you did a pretty good job, amusing me down there.**

 

_ She heard a slow clapping noise, seemingly an ironic applause. But other than that she could not make out the location of where this voice came from, because she heard it from every angle around her. She quickly raised her rifle, preparing herself to take a shot. _

 

?:  **Unfortunately, this amusement didn’t last longer than it took you to dismantle my fellow test subjects down there.**

 

_ A cloaked figure reveals itself from the shadows. It was the masked one, the same one who once had infiltrated Talon’s headquarters, and the same one who shot down her aircraft not 10 minutes ago, that resulted in a crash, killing everyone but her. _

 

Widowmaker:  **Just who are you supposed to be?**

 

_ Letting out a brief humph, the masked one descends himself, leaping down towards Widowmaker, as he brakes mid-air, landing gently on his very feet without any loud noises. It appears that he has some sort of thrusters, hidden below a cloak. He stands right in front of her, once again motionless and menacing. _

 

?:  **Well, since that’s outta the way for now, I hope you don’t mind a brief introduction. Ahem… I guess, I should start with my name-**

 

_ But before he could continue to speak, the assassin decides to interrupt the dialogue, trying to shoot the masked one. _

 

?:  **Gee, you’re that kinda person, huh? First shoot, then ask the questions?**

 

Widowmaker:  **I’d rather not talk with the likes of you.**

 

_ As she missed the first shot, she takes two more, yet missing once again. _

 

?:  **Why, do you think, I’m distracting you? I mean, I get that you’re doing poorly right now, but c’mon. At least give it a bit more dedication, darling!**

 

_ Slightly angered, she continues to miss her sniper shots, when she thinks that they would definitely hit. Did he predict where they would land? Does he have the ability to teleport or move swiftly? Perhaps, he was able to stop time, as well? Regardless of what Widowmaker thought to be the case, she only cared about trying to hit her target. But no matter how hard she would try, she does not seem to land a single shot on the masked one. _

 

?:  **Alright then, I see how it is. Look, how about I try to give you some statistics? Your average accuracy comes to a high of 96.48%. Not bad for a lady like you… Except that your accuracy in this encounter, is currently breaking all records with a stunning accuracy of… 0%.**

 

_ Continuously mocking Widowmaker, the masked one still manages to anger her and dodge all of her bullets. It was pure child’s play for him, teasing the desperate killing machine which longed after the defeat of the unknown. Her accuracy reaches a new low, as she had never experienced it before. Desperate and eager to shoot the masked one, she switches her firing mode to fully-automatic, yet none of her followed shots would hit. _

?:  **That's just not how it works, darling. You don't shoot exactly where I am. You're supposed to aim for where I’m going be at.**

 

Widowmaker:  **Will you ever shut up and surrender?**

 

?:  **Surrender? Me? Do I sound like the kind of person to ever give up? Also, I’m sure that you know more about capitulation than I do…**

 

_ A smug laugh can be heard from the masked one. Widow’s eyes widen in shock and fury. Her ears are not deceiving her, although she cannot believe what the unknown just said to her. _

 

?:  **Oh… did I cross the line?**

 

_ Careless to think through the situation, the enraged assassin decides to keep on shooting and missing. Clearly, she does not have the concentration, nor the repose to hit her target. However, even if she had said attributes, the masked one would dodge each of Widowmaker’s shots, making her look like a amateur. It seems, as if he mocks her on purpose. But what purpose? Suddenly, he whizzed to another distant position, gaining a higher level. _

 

?:  **Careful now, Miss “Killing Machine”. We don't want you to overheat, now do we?**

 

Widowmaker:  **Just what do you want from me?!**

 

?:  **... To see you suffer.**

 

_ Once again, out of nowhere, he zooms right in front of her, making a quick backflip kick motion, which results in the assassin’s rifle flying through the glass roof and out of the building. Followed by an elegant landing, at first, Widowmaker was perplexed about how that “thing” just did that. But the moment only lasted for a second. Widowmaker throws her fist at her opponent, desperately trying to hit his head close-up. Nonetheless, everything that she had tried would result in failure. The masked one easy-handedly manages to dodge all of her punches and kicks, as he waits for the right moment to strike back. Widowmaker reaches out for one last attempt to punch him, but just then, he takes the opportunity to slam his leg against the assassin’s temple. His pace was unmeasurable! In less than a blink of an eye, his foot makes contact with her head! Her skull shatters apart from the inside, as her tactical vision goggles break, as well. Her entire flesh was forcefully pushed to the other side. Everything in Widowmaker’s head moved around, as if it almost exploded or flew off! The force of his kick throws her through several walls, without losing any momentum! The only thing that stopped her flight, was a massive column within the giant hall. The collision almost caused the column to break, as well. You could notice the crumbling concrete falling down onto the motionless Widowmaker. The masked one slowly strolls towards her… but she was already dead. One hit, one kill. She never saw it coming. What else, she did not see coming, was that the masked one descends himself towards her, kneeling down to gently rest his hand on her temple. What was he up to? Did he plan some sort of post-mortem live experience of her memories as both, Widowmaker and Amelié Lacroix? But as it seems, he did not intend any internal trips. He sends a shockwave from his palm, through her body, in order to resurrect her body. A quick gasp for air can be heard, as the assassin awakes from the dead. _

 

?:  **Rise and shine!**

 

Widowmaker:  **Quoi- ...** _ (cough)  _ **Qu’est-ce que c’est…?!** _ (cough) _

 

?:  **Relax, you're fine. You were just under shock. I guess, you’ll walk this one off with a “minor” head injury, alongside an “almost” broken jaw… But other than that, you should be fine, really.**

 

_ Slightly feared by his “merciful gift”, Widowmaker crawls back, away from the masked one. What is it that he really wants from her? The woman got up on her feet, not caring to look behind and starts to run. However, she finds herself in a dead end, as she ends up in a round room with two levels. On the lower level, in the center of the room, a frightened assassin with an irritated expression on her face. On the upper level, once again in front of her, there he was. His arms behind the back, he looks down on his prey. _

 

?:  **Can you explain, what it is that you're trying to do here, Amelié? Oh, did you honestly think, you can run away and wait for another one of Talon’s aircrafts, in case I won't shoot it down? No… not until I taught you better.**

 

Widowmaker:  **Ta gueule!**

 

?:  _ (sigh)  _ **Okay, then… Lesson number one:**

 

_ He slowly raises one of his arms forward, clenching his fist upwards. His lower arm, followed by his hand, parts into several pieces, transforming into his so-called “Re-Figura” burst rifle, implemented within his arm. Widowmaker makes a quick turn, attempting to run away, once again. But just when she takes a step towards the opposite direction, a burst of four energy projectiles, just harmful enough to almost kill her again, strikes her back, as she falls down with a grunt. The masked one made sure to weaken his projectiles as much as possible, so that he could still play with her. He hovers down towards her, approaching the crawling assassin. _

 

?:  **Always face your enemy. Or else, you’ll never see what's coming!!**

 

_ Violently, he grabs hold of her head, smashing it against the marble floor with such force that it already rips apart. _

 

?:  **Lesson number two…**

 

_ The tone of his voice changed drastically. At first, he calmly tried to lecture Widowmaker. Now he’s forcing it into her with aggression. As he tells her the next lesson, the masked one repetitively smashes her face against the floor. _

 

?:  **Assault is the worst defense, whereas defense is the best assault. Do not! EVER! Take the first shot! ... And last, but not least: Lesson number three…!**

 

_ For one last time, he smashes her face onto the floor, cracking it up into shards and pieces. Whatever it was, that made him lose his patience, it was a mistake. And now, Widowmaker has to pay the price. He lets her face rest on the surface of the marble shards, standing up and calming down again, in order to talk some sense into her. _

 

?:  **You cannot escape any conflicts, whatsoever. Confront them. Find out, what you're made of. And grow stronger…. And better yet, know who or what exactly you're facing. Know your enemy, but know as well, who happens to be on your side.**

 

Widowmaker:  **Just… what do you want from me, damnit?**

 

_ The masked one reaches his fingers into the stream of blood on the floor, dipping them into the red paste. He put them against his chrome mask, drawing some sort of symbol. At first, it resembled the common peace symbol, when it was actually supposed to be the symbol of Overwatch. _

 

?:  **I want you to understand.**

 

Widowmaker:  **You… work for them?**

 

?:  **Oh, by the Iris… No, you imbecile! If I had worked for them - One, you would never have faced these Neo-Omnics, or me. Because technically, we don’t exist to the public. Two, Overwatch would cuff you and simply drag you away; if they even managed to catch you, that is. As you can see, or feel perhaps, I don’t behave like that, darling.**

 

Widowmaker:  **What do you mean?**

 

?:  **Let’s just say… I’m fixing what I had broken. At least all, that can still be fixed, after all. Isn’t that right, ”Widow”?**

 

_ He clearly said that on purpose. He is making fun of her, mocking her, degrading her, humiliating her as much as humanly possible. Widow’s eyes widen in desparation. Why is he doing this? What are his motives, or his goals? Why would he want to annoy her so much, until she snaps? Turning around, he continues his monologue, not paying any attention to the assassin, whatsoever. She notices an open window above her. This could be her chance... _

 

?:  **If it weren’t for me, your husband would still be alive. If it weren’t for me, Overwatch would have never happened. If it weren’t for me… humanity would never know what xenophobia truly felt like, and what effects it may have. Ranging from trust issues to the most violent coups, they could imagine. Hm… Of course, I have so many thoughts, much worse than theirs, in my mind, but believe me, Amelié. My thoughts… are not those of a human being…**

 

_ And just when he awaited a response, or any sort of interruption, he waits for a couple of minutes. It was quiet. Too quiet for “her”, he thought. Widowmaker was nowhere to be found. The masked one turns around, lifting his head up, when he spots an open window on the roof. _

 

?:  **And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout… And then… down came the rain.**

 

_ The assassin did not care to look back. All she did, was run. Running away from him, before worse may occur to her. Surrounded by hundreds of rooftops, she jumps from one to another, trying to reach a taller building. It seems, she requires a better view, in order to see what may lie in front of her. She just so happens to stumble upon a rather tall skyscraper, aiming her grappling hook towards the building. It locks! All she has to do now, is pull herself up, as fast as she can. Into the sky, she rises, getting closer to the top of the tall building, when she feels a sudden presence… Somebody was there, already. But it was behind her. Then, out of nowhere; there he was. He zooms straight past her, as Widowmaker could make out a curved blade, emerging from the arm of the masked one. With one swift strike, he manages to cut her rope. Just a bit more of momentum… until she falls again. _ __   
__   
?:  **It’s just, as I said. You can’t outrun yourself. You’re tied to your own laws of nature, that guide you towards freedom. Yet, you don’t feel it. The freedom… You don’t possess it. You are not free of thoughts, of actions, or of anything else. You depend on them, Amelié.**

 

_ It was almost, as if time was moving ever so slowly. The assassin does not fall down… But instead, she descends, like a fallen angel. Her eyes, covered in tears that flew through the air. She was silent. She may as well have accepted her death. She falls through another glass roof, shattering it into pieces which reflect within the moonlight. _

 

?:  **This isn’t how it should be. This is not “your” vision. It’s theirs. They see the world for what it has become. The crimes, the lies, the misachieves. Shattered dreams, turned into disappointment. And even if the dreams of the past had vanished, taking the future dreams with them, you still live. You haven’t vanished. Always remember… Never accept the world, as it appears to be. Dare to see it, for what it could be.**

 

_ Right when she was going to hit the ground, everything went black. A while later, she opens her eyes, hearing a voice hall through her head. It sounded familiar to her… It was the voice of Gérard Lacroix. _

 

Gérard:  **Wake up… Come now, dear… Out of your bed, wake up…**

 

_ But when her eyes opened, getting a clear sight of where she was, she did not see her husband… She is still alive… What she saw, however, was a reflection of herself… A reflection, coming from “his” mask. _

 

?:  **Get up.**

 

_ Shocked, she rises up, getting herself seated. Her breathing pattern was uneven. Fear, is what runs down her spine. Fear of death, fear of confrontation, fear of the masked one… But he remains calm, as he glances towards the exposed assassin. He stands up, letting her stand, as well, as he wanders through the room, rambling about. _

 

?:  **As you can see… You’re not dead… Yet… I mean, I could have let you die, just there, but what would I gather from that? Furthermore, what would you gather from it? Life is all about teaching one another. Sharing lessons, gaining experience. It’s a game, you may not be able to win entirely, but you can achieve things. Things, such as a greater life. A better life. A life, in general. Speaking of lessons, I believe, you have just learned a pretty valuable one…**

 

Widowmaker:  **You… you’re insane!**

 

?:  **Yes. That, too. But I was more likely referring-**

 

Widowmaker:  **You think, this is just a game? Life? A game?! Let me tell you something, if you knew what I had gone through, you would be glad to get the chance to revoke what you just said!**

 

?:  **Where should I start, then? Your husband that you have murdered? Your “life” that you have wasted in front of your own feet? Your failure in defeating me? Your stubborn and childish denial of defeat?**

 

Widowmaker:  **You were just a child, too!**

 

_ The mood has changed. What has started as a mocking fight, has now turned into a lesson. The masked one shows much more seriousness, regarding his approach towards the not-so cold-blooded assassin. _

 

?:  **Yes… I was… But, as they all say: Someday, you’ll have to grow up, right?**

 

Widowmaker:  **All I wanted, was a way to re-live this childhood of mine, from another perspective. But they took it… They took all of it away from me… My love, my family… Do you have any idea what it feels like to lose those, who always stood the nearest to you?**

 

_ A short moment of silence enters the room. It seems as if Widowmaker, had now crossed the frontier of the masked one. _

 

?:  **What do “you” know?**

 

Widowmaker:  **I know why you are just the way that you are right now. You’re angry. You’re hiding it-**

 

?:  **Are you implying that you happen to be almost, sort-of, just like me? If so, then you may not be too inaccurate-**

 

Widowmaker:  **I’m nothing like you. I’m strong. I got over my loss! You didn’t, and you won’t ever forget them!**

 

?:  **You’re being desperate.**

 

Widowmaker:  **And you’re being a daddy’s boy!**

 

_ Just when she said exactly that, she feels a slight breeze, passing her body. It was cold. Now, she must have hit a nerve that she was never supposed to know of. She felt his anger. His fist clenches, as he tilts his head towards her, still showing his back to her. _

 

?:  **… Someone’s never got the love, that they needed.**

 

Widowmaker:  **But I have been loved! I had something! I had a man! A family! I had it all! You have none of those! You’re alone! And guess what? I had everything taken from me, whereas you gave it all away yourself! It’s all your fault! All of it-**

 

_ Having enough of her nonsense, he turns around, dashing straight towards her, when Widowmaker feels a slight stinging. It was warm… Then, it cooled off… Then, the feeling was gone. A blade, emerging from the upper side of his lower arm, impaled the assassin’s chest. The red fluid drips down onto the floor, when he moves towards her ear, whispering to her. _

 

?:  **N'osez-vous pas parler de ma famille, comme si vous les connaissiez!**

 

_ With those words, he pulled the blade out of her chest, leaving her to fall down, onto the red floor. A single tear was shed from her face, as she felt all of her warmth fade away. This is how death feels like to her. First, it burns. Then it freezes… And then… nothing. The masked one steps away, towards the open roof, flying out of the building in which they had ended up, when Widowmaker fell. He just leaves her to die. Alone. Without anyone to help her. One last question went through the assassin’s mind, as it faded into vanity. Was this a worthy death for her? The longer you think about it, the less you truly know. _

 

_ Everything fades to black, as the last glimpse of a light came from the moon, shining through the roof. The assassin falls into a deep slumber from which she may never awaken again. Whilst facing death, voices went through her head from all directions. The voices were distant, so she was unable to tell who it could be. All of the sudden, Widowmaker feels a growing warmth in her chest. _

 

?:  **It's not too late, yet.**

 

?:  **Oh, do we really have to?**

 

?:  **Are you saying we should just-?**

 

?:  **Hello-o? She’s the enemy!**

 

?:  **I’m getting a pulse!**

 

_ The assassin rises up, catching what seemed to be a whole gallon of air. She looks around herself, finding herself to be surrounded by an ape, a medic and a familiar face from King’s Row. _

 

Tracer:  **G’day... madam.**

 

Mercy:  **Don't worry, you’ll be fine. I already fixed you up.**

 

Widowmaker:  **Oh non…**

 

Winston:  **We need to leave. We shouldn't be here in the first place.**

 

Widowmaker:  **Just… Hold on a second. How did you even get here?**

 

Tracer:  **Whaddaya’ mean?**

 

Widowmaker:  **“How” did you find me?**

 

Winston:  **Well, first, we didn't expect to find “you” here. Second, we had received an emergency call-**

 

Athena:  **Which unfortunately, I could not trace back to its origin.**

 

Winston:  **In other words, we had no information about “who”, “how” and “why” they have called us… And we still don't. All we know, is that you are there, and that we have to save you.**

 

Widowmaker:  **You…? “You” have to save… “me”...? You’re kidding me.**

 

Tracer:  **Yeah, I wish we were…**

 

Mercy:  **Either way, I’ve got to check your vitals on the way to our watchpoint. Can we continue this conversation on the way there, please?**

 

Athena:  **Agreed.**

 

Winston:  **Alright, then. Let’s move.**

 

_ The squad decides to take the injured assassin with them, taking care of her, in order to help Amélie rehabilitate from Talon’s influences on her. They enter one of “their” VTOLs, which they had “borrowed” from the UN. Of course, they do not intend on ever returning it. Meanwhile, the captured Widowmaker thinks of the words that the boy had passed on to her. Maybe he was trying to help her, too. What if he is not the true villain? This question will puzzle her for a long time, until she and the rest of Overwatch would find out more about the boy behind the mask. _

 

?:  **To me, humans quite much resemble insects. Puny worms, maggots and bloodsuckers that tend to annoy us, alone with their presence. Just like those, the spider is but a mere victim. No matter the size, no matter the poison. There is always an antidote - always a counter. If it bites, we kill it. If it lays eggs, we crush them. If it begs for mercy, we put it out of its misery. We shut it down, like a machine. Would you rather feel cold? Or numb? Keep in mind, you can still feel the cold… but when you’re numb… when you feel nothing… don’t you just wish to be dead? I provide the redemption. The solution. The freedom. The beginning to an end… and a new beginning.**

 

_ The team arrives at a hidden location, somewhere in the mountains. Perhaps, it was an old watchpoint? Or a new one? Maybe it was never supposed to be here? Either way, Widow is being escorted to the assembly room, where one of her former colleagues would wait, along with Genji, Torbjörn and Bastion. _

 

Sombra:  **Amélie?**

 

Mercy:  **I suppose, you know each other?**

 

Widowmaker:  **Merde…**

**  
** Winston:  **Either way, we need to know what happened. Can you explain?**

 

Widowmaker:  **There were… Omnics… OR’s, to be exact. But they were already demolished by… other Omnics… They belonged to the UN.**

 

Bastion:  **Boop-Bweep?**

 

Torbjörn:  **This fellow right here is one of the first of its kind. The E54. Commonly used by Null Sector. Was it them?**

 

Widowmaker:  **No, they were… new… far more advanced than anything else, I had ever seen. Null Sector wouldn’t even come close to them.**

 

Sombra:  **Wait! Amélie. Just out of the blue, was there some mirror-masked guy with a morphing arm or something?**

 

Widowmaker:  **Yes, he was! Why?**

 

Sombra:  **He gave me this… token, whatever that’s supposed to be.**

 

Mercy:  **Widow, I’ve checked your vitals… You’re fine, so far. Just a minor radiation caused by Omnic energy… However… then there was something else, which was… new to me.**

 

Athena:  **I locate another source of Omnic energy, originating from Sombra’s token.**

 

Sombra:  **What?**

 

Mercy:  **Are you certain, Athena?**

 

Athena:  **Not quite … Whereas the energy is present, it normally should disappear in the matter of days. This is different.**

 

Tracer:  **What if it’s a power source, or something?**

 

Winston:  **May I, Sombra?**

 

Sombra:  **You want the token? Fine… do what you want with it.**

 

Winston:  **Athena, scan the object for engravings, data and other features.**

 

Athena:  **Scanning… Analyzing… Examination complete: There is no data located on this token. It does not carry any data. However, it does have an engraving, resembling the Omnicode. But it turns out to be an abbreviation, meaning that the translation process would take a while.**

 

Torbjörn:  **It’s a link. That’s all I can say, so far. Try to open it.**

 

_ The A.I. would proceed to open the link. Even though, they cannot read or translate the data so far, they can only gather a bit of theoretical context from the pictures. One of which, shows a picture of what seems to be an Omnium within a bigger facility, along with the picture of a young boy with silver hair. _

 

Winston:  **Wait… I recognize that boy.**

 

Sombra:  **You do?**

 

Winston:  **Well… no, not really. But he looks a lot like someone else. Marcus Leonard Marx, a former scientist working on the world’s biggest inventions and technological advancements. What exactly he worked on, remains unknown. For all I know, his work lead the way to what we have today. The original Omnics, the advanced A.I. …**

 

Athena:  **Even I am based on Mr. Marx’ achievements.**

 

Winston:  **And this kid… must be his son. His name was Eden.**

 

Athena:  **Unfortunately, there is no valuable information to be found about him.**

 

Winston:  **Except that he and his father… have randomly disappeared 30 years ago. Neither of them have died, really… Instead, they just vanished, and the cause remains unknown.**

 

Mercy:  **Where were they last seen?**

 

Winston:  **No idea.**

 

Bastion:  **Bwoooop?**

 

Tracer:  **What about his father?**

 

Winston:  **Nothing on him. Whether he’s dead or alive, I have no idea.**

 

Widowmaker:  **Any conclusions, we can make, so far?**

 

Torbjörn:  **You said, you saw some unknown Omnics, right?**

 

Widowmaker:  **Yes, I have.**

 

Torbjörn:  **Well then, what if this Marcus was the one who built the machines, used them to attack you, and just happens to be the man behind the mask?**

 

Sombra:  **But why? I don’t see any reason behind it.**

 

Winston:  **Let’s not get too hasty for now. We need to find out more about who Marcus Marx truly is. And perhaps, there is a chance for us to find out what he’s got to do with those Omnics that you mentioned… Let’s find out what this is about, then...**


	4. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now then... That was quite easy. Am I glad, they made it in time, though... Because I didn't even plan this. And I'm not gonna lie... I think, I might have cut to deep... So, she really could have died, there. Oh bother...
> 
> Now that these two are on their quest to enlightenment, I believe, it's time to head towards the critical part: Convincing our good ol' foxy grandpas to cast aside their rivalries and open their eyes. In case, you have forgotten by now; behind all this violence and cruelty, lies a reason. A cause. Something, that is worth fighting for. 
> 
> This is something that humans know better than anyone else. Then again, Omnics don't "live" quite like humans do. As if they cared, anyways. Look at Null Sector, for instance. All they care about, is punching some meat bags and promoting their agenda. It's not like America already had something similar to that... Anti-Humanism. ANTIHU... I guess, that works.
> 
> But behind all those thoughts of supremacy, all this ignorance, I wonder who can live up to their status and prove themselves, till the very end of it all? Spoiler alert: It's not the guy with his shiny metal gauntlet...!

_ 04 - 30 - 2077 /  _ Los Angeles, United States _ / Null Sector Territory _

#  **_“Confrontation”_ **

 

?:  **Once upon a time, there were two fools, blinded by lies, commanded by prosperity. They fought for a cause, yet lost to treachery. Since then, a war has emerged between these two. This war haunts them since the day, they had met. And it will haunt them till death comes upon them. Unless… There was someone who could reconcile them. Open their eyes, show them the truth… For too long, they have been hating each other blindly. But how does one face confrontation? What if they’re too stubborn to believe anything else? What if they refuse? This is where we let fortune do its magic, and let the dice roll…**

 

_ The sun settles, as Omnics are seen, travelling through their district. Carrying arms and blasters, these mechs patrol through the Westridge Canyonback, without any mercy towards unwanted visitors. With the sun in their back, they take their patience. A tall shadow passes the walls, raising the attention of the Omnics for a moment. Yet, it seemed as if nobody would pose a threat to them - at least nobody, who they could see. Another shadow, slower, yet way more menacing than the previous one, slithers through the floor like a ghost... the Omnics noticed a certain presence. A presence of both, something hot and something cold… Whatever it was… they decided to look after it. One of the droids approaches the next corner, when suddenly, it gets dragged away and dismantled. Another one, on the other side of the corridor, checks for any threats, when it feels a black shadow surround it. At first, the guard didn’t bother, until it gets dragged down into the shadow, without any noises being made. _

 

?:  **What’s the best way to reconcile two stubborn grandpas who go way back in their lives? Instead of sharing their interests in what they like, they should share their hate. Let it out on what they both dislike. And soon enough, the two of them will know why they find themselves at this place… in this situation… at this time.**

 

_ A masked soldier, wearing a blue jacket and his visor, approaches the center of the district, guarded by what seemed to be dozens of Omnics. Morrison thought to himself, observing the situation. _

 

Soldier 76:  **Just to make things clear… A hostage situation in a Null Sector district? I never recall them take any hostages and keep them alive. This doesn’t make any sense. Why would they do that? Either way, they belong to the junkyard.**

 

_ Meanwhile, on the other side of the district, a lonely Reaper would make his way through the guards, disposing every single one, that may or may not come in his way. His target must be the same as Morrison’s. The inside of their fortress within the center. A few questions remain, however. What exactly would they find? Is Morrison sharing the same interests as Reyes? Are they both looking for the same thing? What are their purposes? Was it truly a coincidence that they were both at the same place, at the very same time? The Soldier makes his way through the crowd, unnoticed and hidden behind the shadows of the settling sun. Just as unnoticed as this subtle pacifist, was the brachial deathsman, driven by carnage. Both of them managed to enter the facility without any troubles, whatsoever. Everything was dark. Just a few screens and cameras were spread throughout the corridors, guarded by more Null Sector Omnics and Walkers, quadrupedal weaponized units, resembling a walking tank. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an announcement goes through the entire corridor, alarming all Omnics about the presence of unwanted guests. _

 

?:  **Attention, all Nulltroopers. We are missing reports from sector Gamma 5, Delta 2 and Alpha 4. 8 troopers have not reported since now, and are currently considered to be M.I.A. Investigate the sectors and beware of any intruders. Lethal action is authorized. Oh yeah, by the way… If any of you were curious about further in-depth intel regarding Overwatch… you may want to arrive in the command center, as soon as possible. Keep in mind, first one to get it, gets to keep it.**

 

_ Both, Morrison and Reyes have heard this announcement through the speakers. Apparently, both of them are looking for details regarding their former affiliations. However, Morrison is the first one to arrive at the command center. From there, he proceeds to access the computer, searching for any of the mentioned intel. He rests his rifle on the side, next to the interface.  _

  
  


_ >               FOLDER: NULL _

_ > >           FOLDER: INTEL _

_ > > >       FOLDER: OW _

 

_ \-- UPDATED: 04 - 30 - 77   / 17:43 -- _

 

_ > DATA: Intel_20378610 _

  
  


_ It was written in Omnicode. However, some of the parts were easy to translate and figure out. Nonetheless, this data was an entire enigma. Various lines of codes, that needed to be connected with another, in order to construct a link to the intel itself. Skipping through a ton of pictures, involving Zürich, a newspaper report about some scientist, and prototype blueprints, the Soldier manages to find something, standing out of the bunch. It was a voice recording from only a few months ago. _

 

?:  **2 - 0 - 7 - 5 - Oscar - Charlie - Tango - 15 … The initiation of “Project Overwatch” is currently in process. The preparations have been made. Let us see, if the world is ready for this… The reveal of the truth, and the exposure of the biggest lie since the very start of the alliance. Remember. Everything, you believe, is false. Only pure knowledge and enlightenment will guide your way. Do you know? How do you know?**

 

_ Hiding within the dark corners of this room, a black mist approaches the shadow of the Soldier who is yet checking for more. _

 

?:  **2 - 0 - 7 - 3 - Mike - Alpha - Yankee - 24…  Day 9855, after “Rebirth”. You know what happened… In case, you should have forgotten for some reason, allow me to remind you. They lied. They lied to all of them. I won’t need to give any names, because that’s what you should know. What happened in Zürich, went viral as a major hoax. They twisted the facts, added some fake evidence, made it look all legit, just like it should have been. It’s not like Overwatch was going to stay as it was, oh no… they were only going to be plan B, which wouldn’t have been the final solution. But guess what? If you weren’t part of the alliance, you shouldn’t care about what’s going to come… But if you are… If you truly fight for Overwatch… then you may want to look deeper into this. All I can say, is that it’s not your fault.**

 

_ An odd static noise cuts off several seconds after this line. Morrison attempts to loop this exact part. However, all the sudden, he feels a presence behind his back, as he rests in his current stance, without any motion at all. _

 

Soldier 76:  **Didn’t know, you’d show up, as well.**

 

Reaper:  **Same to you, old friend…**

 

Soldier 76:  **Hmph… what brings you here?**

 

Reaper:  **You don’t need to know.**

 

_ Reaper points the barrel of his shotgun towards Jack’s head, seemingly having him pinned. _

 

Soldier 76:  **I guess you’re right about that…**

 

_ Within a blink of the eye, the Soldier throws the weapon away to the side, dodging the shot that would have killed him. At the same moment, he reaches after his rifle to unload his magazine. However, Reaper already disappears, taking cover until Morrison stopped shooting. The hooded deathsman strikes back with his shotguns, trying to hit his shots. This convenient encounter has now turned into a violent shootout, attracting all of the Omnics’ attention. The alarm goes off, as both of the rivals are still trying to outgun the other, when they both hold back at the point, where both of them could shoot each other. _

 

Soldier 76:  **They’re coming.**

 

Reaper:  **And they’ll take you straight to hell.**

 

Soldier 76:  **Care to visit me, then.**

 

?:  **Ahem. Would the two of you that happen to find themselves in the devastated  command center, get over your childish fight and perhaps focus on the damn Omnics?!**

 

_ Another voice was yelling through the speakers, only towards Reyes and Morrison. They find themselves surrounded by Nulltroopers. A long moment of silence emerges, until one of the two happens to have a plan. _

 

Reaper:  **Not today, buddy.**

 

Soldier 76:  **What did you say-?**

 

Reaper:  **Duck!**

 

_ The deathsman would gather his wrath, before unleashing a blossom of death on the omnics, giving Morrison an opportunity to escape. The two of them shoot their way out, unintentionally helping another, as they both gun down their enemies. Meanwhile, from a hidden room, an unknown figure is spectating their escape through the cameras, spread across the facility. Behind him, lies an Omnic, with a massive hole inside its torso, and a missing head, which happens to find itself in the hand of the mysterious spectator.  _

 

Soldier 76:  **You sure, you don’t wanna tell me, what’s bringing you here?**

 

Reaper:  **Just gathering some intel… I got a signal from a Talon agent within this district.**

 

Soldier 76:  **Well, I was awaiting some hostages here- …**

 

Reaper:  **Null Sector doesn’t take hostages.**

 

Soldier 76:  **Oh yeah? What about any Talon agents, then?**

 

Reaper:  **… What are you saying?**

 

Soldier 76:  **I’ll get to that later!**

 

_ Being busy with shooting down a Walker, Reaper decides to abandon Morrison, leaving him to deal with the Omnics all by himself. However, as Reyes escapes through the corridors, he ends up in a giant warehouse full of weapons and explosives. He continues to look for more Omnics or potential weapons that he could steal, when somebody talks down to him out of nowhere. _

 

?:  **Really? You’re just going to abandon your ol’ pal like that? Leave him out to die, when he was the one who spared you most of the time? Tsk, tsk, tsk, Gabe… What to do with you?**

 

Reaper:  **Funny to hear that from somebody, who’s too afraid to show himself.**

 

_ When out of nowhere, the masked one stands in front of him, standing straight in front of him, face to face.  _

 

?:  **How ironic… Say, why were you wearing this mask again?**

 

_ Applying the same tactic as with Widowmaker, the masked one simply dodges every shot, Reaper takes. At the same time, a heavily busy Soldier is finding himself in a dead end, surrounded by Troopers and Walkers. Facing the verge of death, Morrison’s life is spared, when out of nowhere, a furious ape smashes his way into the corridor, destroying the Omnics, as if they were nothing but toys. As the dust settles, Morrison recognizes the ape as a former colleague from the Uprising days. _

 

Soldier 76:  **Winston?**

 

Winston:  **Glad to find you, after all those years! I knew, you weren’t dead.**

 

Soldier 76:  **Wait, how did you- …?**

 

Winston:  **Uhh… we received an emergency signal from a transmitter, located right here.**

 

Soldier 76:  **I didn’t have any- … Never mind, where’s Reaper?**

 

Winston:  **Reaper? He’s here, too?**

 

Soldier 76:  **Believe it, or not… A moment ago, he helped me out of here, before you jumped in.**

 

_ Busy with their re-union, Reaper is busy with confronting the masked fellow, who mocks him constantly, by cutting the deathsman every time, he passes. To him, this was only a game which the masked one was destined to win. This was not a fight. It was a test. He is testing Gabriel’s might and conscience.  _

 

?:  **C’mon, Gabe. Is that all, you got? The man who takes everyone straight to hell, cannot even land a single shot? I mean, you may be stressed. Is it about Morrison? The intel on Overwatch? Ooh! What about your daughter?**

 

_ Despite all of his efforts, Reaper would continue to miss more of his shots. _

 

Reaper:  **Afraid to die?**

 

?:  **Oh, I’ve died already. Quite a few times, actually. Ain’t as painful as they say.**

 

_ With a sudden strike, the masked one dodges through Reyes’ cover, retracting his scythe-blades. The deathsman kneels down to the ground, before falling flat. Once again, disappointed, the masked one makes his way to resurrect the fallen Reaper. _

 

?:  **Then again, there are fates much worse than death… Anyways, back to business. Why did you leave Morrison to die? Didn’t you think for a second why you were both here, when neither of you found what you were intentionally looking for? What if… yeah, what if… Somebody… like me… was planning this, throughout the entire time?**

 

Reaper:  **And what for?**

 

?:  **Oh for… And you wonder why you didn’t become Strike Commander Reyes? You are pretty much brainless, at this point. Aside all of your augmentations and enhancements that keep you alive, you’re basically a walking zombie! That’s how dumb you are!**

 

_ Dodging another wave of shots from Reaper, the masked one unveils his blaster, morphing out of his arm. Burst after burst, he proceeds to gun Reyes down to the ground again. _

 

?:  **You were asking why I didn’t show myself, at first… Yet, I wonder why you are wearing a mask, when there is no reason for you to do so. The whole world believes that you’re dead. And those who know that you’re not, they already know what lies behind that mask.**

 

_ He approaches the deathsman, who lies on the ground, without any motion whatsoever. His hand reaches for the mask, when he slowly removes it from his face. _

 

?:  **You don’t need any of this. Gabe, this is your chance… your rebirth, almost. A whole new beginning, for someone like you. Morrison has been looking for you, for the entire time. And you were looking for him. Tell me, what is this about?**

 

Reaper:  **Give… it back.**

 

?:  **Oh, I can’t. Sorry, not happening. I’d rather stare at those dead bloodshot eyes, belonging to a scarred, burnt and exposed face of a man who had been an honorable man, before. Gabriel Reyes… This is your true self. Not that edgy** **façade that you’re using to hide your true self. Reaper… the harbinger of death. More like, the harbinger of desperation - a delusional victim to the United Nations. Just like Morrison.**

 

Reaper:  **What…?**

 

?:  **It wasn’t either of you… I’m sorry… All I tried to do, was bring you back together, undo all of my mistakes, and pay the debts that I have brought upon myself. Trust me, Gabe. I have a plan. A plan that will change the world’s perspective on everything - you, Overwatch, everyone... I’m going to unveil the truth. And I swear by your life, and by Morrison’s… you two would wish, you had never come this far...**

 

_ Before, he decides to leave, he passes on a fraction of an old relic to Reaper. As he turns his back to the damaged assassin, he gets up on his feet, tumbling from the pain that flows through his body. Reyes was not satisfied. He grabbed his shotguns once more, preparing another death blossom. But before, he could let his anger out on the masked one, he must face a metallic foot in his face, just like Widowmaker did. And just like her, he also flies through the walls, ending up right in front of Jack and Winston. The two of them remain perplexed, as the masked one already happened to be gone. And once again, Winston finds another piece of this puzzle. Whatever it is with those pieces, the anonymous person behind the mask is trying to help them find out. _

  
  


_ A few hours later… _

 

_ Convinced to join back, Morrison and Winston guide Reaper to his cell. As of now, they have no other choice but to keep him locked up, without any opportunity to strike them. Reaper’s cell is special - modified to prevent him from escaping in the shape of his black mist. The rest of the current Overwatch alliance arrives, as their old leader discusses the following plans. _

 

Soldier 76:  **I suppose, each of us knows exactly what we still need to do.**

 

Tracer:  **Yeah, we need to find the other members. What about the Amaris?**

 

Winston:  **Ana and Pharah have to wait. They are both occupied at this point, when it comes to protecting their home.**

 

Tracer:  **I thought Overwatch was their home-**

 

Winston:  **Overwatch was something public, Tracer. Keep that in mind. What Ana and Pharah fight for, has nothing to do with us…**

 

Soldier 76:  **And besides… we still got worse things to take care of - such as your rendez-vous with Akande Ogundimu, otherwise known as-**

 

Reaper:  **Doomfist…**

 

_ A cold atmosphere would emerge, accompanied by a sense of revenge, not only from the Overwatch members; but Morrison’s friend and rival, as well, happens to have a quarrel with the Talon chancellor.  _

 

Reaper:  **I already know of your failure, from the first time, you tried to seize him. However, Akande is fueled by determination and his warrior spirit. Typical for him, he always sees himself as the strongest, and thereby the most important…**

 

Winston:  **And your point is…?**

 

Reaper:  **If you were kind enough to let me handle this… I’ll get him for you.**

 

Mercy:  **Dead or alive, while we’re already at it?**

 

Reaper:  **Whatever the doctor orders…**

 

Torbjörn:  **And what if we let you out of this cell, you get your weapons out and start shooting us?**

 

Reaper:  **If so, I would have done it by now…**

 

_ Silence fills the room for a slight moment, as Jack approaches his former colleague, deactivating his cell. He gave Reyes a second chance to make up for his previous crimes and doings. _

 

Soldier 76:  **You better-**

 

Reaper:  **I know… I got you in my sights, too…**

 

Soldier 76:  **… That… wasn’t what I was going to say… Fine, just watch yourself, Gabe.**

 

Reaper:  **I will… But first… where is my mask?**

 

_ Meanwhile, at another location, a muzzy tall warrior with a shining gauntlet is terrorizing the streets of Numbani by throwing punches at everything that comes to his sight. He was guarded by a few of the remaining Talon mercenaries, since their organization had been torn apart and erased more and more as time went by. Overwatch made their way to fly towards the danger zone, preparing themselves for their own assault. However, Doomfist already sensed their approach from miles away. _

 

Doomfist:  **They are coming…**

 

_ The team makes a landing, securing their surroundings before they even dare to proceed any further. So far, there is no sight of Doomfist at all - no noises and no screams for help. At first, things felt fishy. After all, their target must be around the area. He cannot just leave, can he? Despite their thoughts, Doomfist never intended to leave. In fact, all he needs, is a bit of air time, until striking down on the floor, surprising the team with an enormous strike from above. All of the Overwatch agents are sent flying, as the mercenaries approach, too, aiding Doomfist in this battle. _

 

Doomfist:  **Ready for round 2?**

 

_ A wild Winston jumps towards Akande, throwing him down onto the ground. But Doomfist does not seem impressed as he sends the ape flying with a punch in his face. While he deflects the Soldier’s helix rockets, he also manages to smash Torbjörn’s defense. At the same time, Mercy seeks after Winston, when being surrounded by Talon’s agents. Quickly, she switches her staff for her pistol, gunning her way through the crowd alongside Tracer and Reaper, who seemingly enjoys dismantling his own former allies. In the meantime, Doomfist moves back, leaving his enemies occupied with the agents. Doomfist had other things to do, than messing around with others that are not his own caliber. Making his way through Unity Plaza, he seeks for an old monument, based on the former carriers of the weapon that gave him his name. There, he sees the statues of his two ancestors who were the first to possess this great responsibility. _

 

Doomfist:  **The Savior… and the Scourge. Neither of you have achieved anything… you were given a chance… a chance to change humanity… to strengthen humanity… to purge the weak and move further… You had failed your own kind.**

 

_ Slowly, he approaches the statues, clenching his fist, as he is about to destroy the statues in front of his sight, when somebody approaches him from behind. _

 

?:  **And you think, you’ll live up to your own name, Successor? Tell me, if all of humanity was capable of being molded by itself, why is it that we still have violence on this earth? You, too, are part of the human race. You are just as weak, just as mortal and just as dumb as them. So tell me, Doomy… what makes you so different, after all?**

 

Doomfist:  **Who are you to judge?**

 

?:  **Well, if I remember correctly, this… gauntlet… how long has it been around? 30 years? The first one to try it out, was the Savior, using it as a prototype weapon to protect Numbani from the Omnics who went rogue due to… you know what, nevermind. The point is, I know the people who made this weapon, and neither they, nor your ancestors would be proud of your doing. First up, your co-operation with these terrorists, then your marxistic-darwinistic vision of humanity. Trust me, that ain’t gonna work, I should know that.**

 

_ Careless, Akande ignores his words, sprinting right at the conveniently present fellow with his fist. However, instead of hitting his shiny mask, he finds himself drilling his fist into the cronrete wall. _

 

?:  **Come on! This is the third time, already. I don’t want to start a fight! Why do you even try?!**

 

_ Annoyed by the constant fights, the masked one makes it short by drawing his blaster and shooting burst after burst at Akande. He continuously tries to block each of them, as they get more and more powerful. However, the pressure rises this far, that the bursts change into a fully-automatic rush of energy projectiles, penetrating Doomfist’s defense. The color of his projectile changes to a furiously burning red, drilling holes into the warrior’s torso. Falling onto his knees, Akande just stares at his enemy who easily shot him down, yet letting him alive at this point. The masked one slowly struts towards the defeated Doomfist who just lies there and does nothing. _

 

?:  **Here’s a fact: You failed. You failed me, you failed them, you failed everyone else on this planet. Even your own men for whom you seem so much to care and fight for… right? And let’s not forget your ancestors… But why would they care? They’re already dead.**

 

_ Turning his back to his victim, he walks away, as Doomfist gets back up on his feet. Apparently, it would have been too early for him to give up just yet. _

 

Doomfist:  **You… know nothing about me… or my desires. The weak… must be purged-**

 

?:  **Then just kill yourself, already. Or how about all of humanity and their machines? You see, the true plague is humanity itself, spreading more viruses in robotic shape. Their attempts to create artificial lifeforms already fails within the definition of life itself. Life is natural. It can’t be artificial or “independent” of your nature. If you attempt to control nature, when you are still part of it yourself… you’re just ending up digging your own grave. Leave it to the deities. You’re not in charge to determine humanity’s fate. You don’t deserve this heritage…**

 

_ Blinded by fury and wrath, Akande attempts one more punch towards the masked one. Thinking, he could land one final punch, the masked one was unveiling a blade from his other arm and slicing through Doomfist’s right arm. Thus, he detaches the gauntlet from his user, leaving him with painful screams in agony and anger.  _

 

?:  **You don’t deserve to carry that weapon… You deserve nothing… not even your title… Not until you find a true reason to fight for. Progress is not the target. It is the achievement. Look around, and you will see… progress lies right in front of your eyes.**

 

_ And with those words, the masked one leaves once again, finally leaving Akande alone, until Overwatch would pick him up. Seeing that he is surrounded by the heroes, including Reaper, he makes one last request to them. _

 

Doomfist:  **I would rather die than admitting defeat.**

 

Reaper:  **Really? I’ll make this quick, then-**

 

Soldier 76:  **Don’t. We should give him a second chance…**

 

Reaper:  **Excuse me? Do you have any idea what this man has done?**

 

Soldier 76:  **Excuse you, I could have let you die back at Null Sector.**

 

Reaper:  **I could have killed you when I destroyed Zürich!**

 

Soldier 76:  **You did not destroy it!**

 

_ Another moment of silence enters, as Morrison makes a sudden statement, based on the intel which he gathered from Null Sector. _

 

Soldier 76:  **It wasn’t either of us… Someone else did it.**

 

Reaper:  **How are you supposed to know?**

 

Soldier 76: **The intel… They said, it was all a lie. Someone else was behind this. They were talking about a… rebirth, of some sort.**

 

Winston:  **A rebirth…? Wait a second, what about the-**

 

Sombra:  **The conspiracy about that one scientist and his dead son?**

 

Winston:  **Marcus Marx. What if he brought his son back to life?**

 

Reaper:  **And how would this tie in with the incident back then, in Zürich?**

 

Doomfist:  **This… man… He said, we cannot mold humanity’s fate. We cannot change nature… This… wasn’t a human’s doing.**

 

Tracer:  **Oi, what’s he talking ‘bout?**

 

Widowmaker:  **Why do I feel, like I’m sensing a déjà-vu?**

 

Doomfist:  **Progress lies in front of our eyes… I don’t understand.**

 

_ The hacker would look towards the ape, knowing what this could have been about. _

 

Sombra:  **Same guy.**

 

Winston:  **Huh?**

 

Sombra:  **It’s the same guy, he’s toying with us!**

 

Tracer:  **Then how about we just toy with him?**

 

Mercy:  **I think, that would be a terrible idea. Considering, how easily he must have taken down Doomfist, Sombra and Widow, we are probably not dealing with some average threat.**

 

Winston:  **A deity, hm?**

 

Sombra:  **I’m an idiot.**

 

Reaper:  **Come again?**

 

Sombra:  **Listen, Gabe… I… I may have forgotten about the relic. The relic had the same symbol with that eye and is said to be the symbol of a certain deity… but I could not translate it all.**

 

Torbjörn:  **Was it in Omnicode?**

 

Sombra:  **Not our Omnicode, no. It was a variation. Something more ancient.**

 

Winston:  **Maybe Athena can decipher it.**

 

Sombra:  **Hopefully… Anyways, what are we doing with him?**

 

Soldier 76:  **He’s coming with us.**

 

Reaper:  **Does he have to…?**

 

Soldier 76:  **Gabe…?**

 

Reaper:  **Ugh… fine… Have it your way, Jack.**

 

_ Together, they manage to convince Akande to join forces with Overwatch. Talon was no longer important, with most of their vital members having left the organization. Instead, Overwatch was busy with finding out the truth behind their presence. Why did Overwatch become this alliance? What had torn it apart? Who is responsible for all of this? _

 

?:  **Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. Whereas I still don’t think highly of the French, I must say, Rousseau had a point. If you wait long enough, the answer will come to you. You don’t have to chase after every trail. Instead, follow the flow. Let yourself be guided. The truth will come to you. Soon, everything will show itself. And Overwatch… will go back to its roots - to what it really was.**


	6. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talon seems to be walking on only one leg, now. No more hackers, no more cold-blooded assassins, and no more Doomfist to do the dirty work for them. Their ressources are shrinking to nothing, it would seem...
> 
> Which is why, they have to resort to Plan B. Remember when Talon infilitrated that one place, I told you about? Yeah, that one. Turns out, they got further than expected. And now, it serves them as their leverage. Sure, luckily, they are not ready to build their own Omnics, yet. But before that ever happens, I think, I should pay them a little visit.
> 
> Let us just hope that Overwatch does not mess this one up. I have got something special prepared for them. I mean... how could they possibly fail this one? They have several moles to dig into Talon's deals and all those partners they have.
> 
> Seriously, the only way, they could mess this one up, is by bringing someone here that is, in absolutely no way, prepared to jump straight into the battlefield. But who could they possibly bring? As if any of them truly have any relationships, or are married to someone... 
> 
> Oh wait... Oh... I think, I forgot about someone, haven't I...?

_ 11 - 18 - 2077 / Watchpoint: Gibraltar _

  
  


#  **_“Truth”_ **

 

?:  **I never thought, I’d witness that day… But they’ve outdone themselves. Talon, Overwatch, everyone. They all declare it for themselves. The chaos, the destruction. Neither of them are to blame… Well then, guess we’ll have to cut to the chase, then. Let me remind you. I did it. I am responsible for everything, It’s my fault, and my doing only. And I’ll take matters into my hands…**

 

_ Plotting their next mission together, Overwatch retreats within their own watchpoint, patient and cautious, whether or not, one of the former Talon members would strike them. However, as it seems, they sure get along with each other. Sombra helps Tracer with her accelerator, the French assassin discusses her love life with the Swiss medic. And Doomfist may as well get on the same level as Torbjörn, despite their heights. On the balcony rests a tired Morrison, taking his time to rehabilitate from the previous bravado. Behind him joins his old fellow, checking after the old Strike Commander Morrison. _

 

Reaper:  **You’re tired.**

 

Soldier 76:  **You’re right… I’m tired… of all this mess. I never wanted to fight again, but… I guess, I can’t outrun my past.**

 

Reaper:  **Trust me, I tried. It just comes after you and haunts you for the rest of your life. Look at me, Jack. I tried it myself. And the results are clear, as you can see-**

 

Soldier 76:  **Look, I just want the feud to end, okay? Why are we fighting? What are we even fighting for?**

 

Reaper:  **Power, control, to prove ourselves, you name it, Jack.**

 

Soldier 76:  **Hmph… You don’t even understand… I’m talking about us… You and I, back in the golden days… When we used to get along…**

 

Reaper:  **Not all that glitters is gold. You know that… Besides, I already apologized for everything what I have done… Looks, like I can’t satisfy you, though.**

 

Soldier 76:  **Maybe… Maybe, you can. But that’ll take some time.**

 

Tracer:  **Are you two foxy grandpas done, now? Winston got some news for us.**

 

_ As the three of them make their way back to the main room, Athena would alert the group about a visitor. _

 

Athena:  **I am reading heat signals, approaching our facility.**

 

Soldier 76:  **Did you invite somebody?**

 

Doomfist:  **Well, let’s hope, they are prepared…**

 

Winston:  **Hold on now… Athena, give us a picture.**

 

_ As the A.I. would display the camera feed of the front door, Tracer would recognize the female in front of it, from her red hair, to her sweet voice. _

 

Emily:  **Hello-o? Lena? Are you there?**

 

Tracer:  **Emily? Wait, how did she get here?**

 

_ Winston opens the door for her to get in. Apparently, she would have been no threat to the team. She was just an ordinary young lady, aside from being Tracer’s girlfriend. _

 

Emily:  **Oh, uh- Sorry. I was thinking, you’d be with Winston. I’m connected with him, so I knew where you were.**

 

Winston:  **… Oops. I forgot that.**

 

Emily:  **Anyways, it’s not that hard to reach… I mean, with the right equipment to climb those mountains… Sorry, am I disturbing you?**

 

Sombra:  **Nah…**

 

Widowmaker:  **Not yet.**

 

Bastion:  **Bweep-Boop.**

 

Emily:  **… Wait, what are “they” doing he-**

 

Tracer:  **Long story. Nonetheless, why did you come here?**

 

Emily:  **Didn’t you promise me, you’d take me onto one of your missions? I always wanted to see my beloved darling in action!**

 

Tracer:  **But this might be a big one.**

 

Emily:  **Tracer, you and I both know that I like it big and dangerous…**

 

Winston:  **Uhh… ladies? Ahem… As I was going to say, thanks to Reaper, we managed to get a bit more intel on Talon’s plans.**

 

_ The ape proceeds to show pictures of Talon mercenaries, stealing some sort of highly-advanced technology. Apparently, they might be using the tech, in order to create some sort of superweapon. _

 

Widowmaker:  **Wait, those are plans for robots… Merde.**

 

Winston:  **What’s wrong?**

 

Widowmaker:  **As far as I remember, they resemble the Omnics, I fought back in the museum. The original ones were almost unbreakable. Trust me, I made my experience with them.**

 

Doomfist:  **So they’re Omnics, huh?**

 

Sombra:  **Hold on, zoom in on that… “Property of UN”…**

 

Soldier 76:  **So, are they stealing from the United Nations?**

 

Reaper:  **That’s not gonna work. Usually, technology like this, is stored within their own bases. Meaning, they need to have some sort of connection with the government.**

 

Doomfist:  **Talon and the United Nations? Why would they bargain with terrorists?**

 

Mercy:  **I heard, UN property would sell for high prices on the black market.**

 

Torbjörn:  **Old bots and guns, perhaps. This isn’t just some leftover junk that they’d sell.**

 

Soldier 76:  **And what would they do with the tech, then? Build an army of robots?**

 

Sombra:  **Or, these mercenaries aren’t really working for Talon. What if they just wear their clothes? Make it look like a theft, when it’s a semi-legit business deal…**

 

Tracer:  **Sounds like you got a mole, then.**

 

Doomfist:  **We never had any moles within our organization, before. Why would we have any now?**

 

Reaper:  **You clearly have trust in everyone you know, don’t you?**

 

Doomfist:  **What are you saying?**

 

Reaper:  **Hm, let’s see… We can always ask one of our old friends, can’t we? Think of Monaco, for instance.**

 

Doomfist:  **The Frenchman?**

 

Widowmaker:  **How would Maximilien tie into this? He’s one of Talon’s closest associates.**

 

Sombra:  **So were we.**

 

Reaper:  **And now look, where we are. Besides, wouldn’t you trust such an important person amongst the court?**

 

Widowmaker:  **Touché… Fair point Gabe, but what do we do, then?**

 

Soldier 76:  **How about you pay him a visit? Apparently, he’s catching crates full of Omnic stuff in Aberdeenshire… Dunnottar Castle, to be exact.**

 

Reaper:  **Of course, an abandoned castle in ruins. Where else would you meet?**

 

Winston:  **Well, you heard him. We gotta get ready before we miss the chance!**

 

_ As the crew members prepare themselves, taking Emily with them, Overwatch makes their way to the destination, where they would find one of Talon’s associates. Meanwhile, in Aberdeenshire, a team of mercenaries, carries a suspicious amount of boxes, filled with any kinds of Omnic technology, depositing it within a carrier airship. Overwatch is still plotting their strategy, as they are on their way. _

 

Torbjörn:  **So, how are we doing this?**

 

Widowmaker:  **I think, it would be better if you let “us” do the dirty work.**

 

Soldier 76:  **These four are the only ones, who could possibly gain us that one chance to approach Maxmilien. After all, they know each other.**

 

Torbjörn:  **And what if they just happen to plot their revenge while we’re just sitting here and watch them?**

 

Reaper:  **Then you’d be one head shorter by now.**

 

Torbjörn:  **Fair point… I guess, I’d be only be two more heads tall, then.**

 

Doomfist:  **By the way, Sombra. May I see that relic, again? Perhaps, I could decipher some of its content.**

 

Sombra:  **Gee, you’re quite late, if I may be honest with you.**

 

Doomfist:  **Look, it’s not as easy, as you think it is. Whereas we are familiar with the ordinary Omnicode, this is an ancient abbreviation, after all… Or, to make more sense: It’s the original language.**

 

Emily:  **Wait, I’m confused here, isn’t the Omnicode a language in itself?**

 

Winston:  **It is. However, the Omnicode is indeed based on an ancient, somewhat hieroglyphic language. The Omnicode, that has ever since emerged from that, is nothing more than just a basic alienation. We simply turned something historical into dingbats.**

 

Emily:  **So… is that how they manage to communicate? With hieroglyphs?**

 

Bastion:  **Bweeep…**

 

Winston:  **Today’s Omnics are far more advanced. Of course, it did require knowledge in coding, in order to “talk” with other Omnics. You once required computers and keyboards to “talk” with robots, too. Then, we moved on to vocal recognition and input, where our language is translated to Omnicode, until we managed to create a vocal output, translating Omnicode back to our language… However, this took a few decades. Bastion, for example, was one of the earlier Omnics, which served a far more simplistic purpose.**

 

Emily:  **And that is…?**

 

Winston:  **Umm… to function, yes…!**

 

Doomfist:  **Ok, I got something, listen up!**

 

_ Akande would pass the relic back to Sombra, as he reads off a few lines from the holoscreen, giving the others an idea of what these relics were speaking of. _

 

Doomfist:  **It’s a story, apparently… telling about a harbinger, or… some sort of precursor. “Before unfolding reality, beyond event horizon, there was one. One, who would sacrifice his flesh and soul to carry not only the skies, but the entire horizon. From bright stardust to empty darkness, he were chosen to carry conviction and remission, to maintain the Omnium - the only resort for those of his kind. However, obfuscated by his own heir, he fell into despair, trapping himself in a seemingly neverending cycle of… rebirth. For we will never know, when the cycle would end, we tell this story from the very beginning - the story of rebirth.”**

 

Sombra:  **Wow… I’m impressed… I had never thought, you could understand this kind of stuff.**

 

Doomfist:  **Despite all efforts, this is only a rough translation.**

 

Winston:  **This “rebirth” story is starting to give me some “Solve et Coagula” vibes.**

 

Reaper:  **Glad, I’m not the only one to share this conclusion…**

 

Winston:  **Where did you learn that from, anyway?**

 

Doomfist:  **Two years, before joining Talon, I was studying ancient mythology in Numbani. That was when I stumbled upon a passage about how humanity modernized an ancient language, prior to anything else that has ever existed, in terms of human documentations.**

 

Soldier 76:  **We’re almost there. Athena, cloak us. We don’t want them to be alerted, already.**

 

_ The ship lands below the hill that has turned into half a base for Talon’s services, which they usually only use for cargo shipments or deliverments to their headquarters. And since they managed to keep this place hidden for years, with the help of Sombra’s satellite hacking skills, they would never expect anyone to find them, of course. And if they did, they would die. Simple as that. Meanwhile, on top of the hill, in the middle of the ruins, an Omnic is making plans with one of the mercenaries. _

 

Maximilien:  **Be careful with those crates. We haven’t gone this far to risk any damages, and we’re not going to get another shot at this.**

 

Talon Mercenary:  **What’s inside of them?**

 

Maximilien:  **The future, mon ami. The future of Omnic technology, humanity and… Overwatch.**

 

Talon Mercenary:  **Wait, Overwatch is done. There may have been a few minor mishappenings, but-**

 

Maximilien:  **Oh, you’re thinking of the alliance. Oh, non… Non, non, non. This is completely different from what you’re familiar with. This technology was supposed to be part of a carefully-planned project. And the Omnics were the key to fulfill that plan. This… is the highest prestige of Omnic technology on the entire planet. This is Project Overwatch.**

 

Talon Mercenary:  **Uhh, Sir? I’m receiving unidentified signals, approaching this facility.**

 

Maximilien:  **Don’t engage… There’s only one person who could know of our location.**

 

Talon Mercenary:  **Actually, there’s three of them.**

 

_ Suddenly, the mercenary feels a tap on his shoulder, as Sombra appears out of nowhere, right next to them. _

 

Sombra: **Make that four.**

 

Maximilien:  **Mon dieu, Sombra! Amelié! Gabe!**

 

_ The cold-blooded assasin grunts at the Omnic’s greeting, knowing that he does not quite enjoy being referred to as “Gabe”. _

 

Maximilien:  **Pardon me. I was lead to believe that you were dead!**

 

Doomfist:  **How come?**

 

Maximilien:  **Since the last few incidents, we were unsure whether or not, anyone of you would ever return. The infiltration in Mexico, the assassination in Paris, Sector Null, and of course Numbani. You disappeared almost entirely! Everyone just considered you as M.I.A. … And now, you’re here! How did you even get here?**

 

Widowmaker:  **We stole an Overwatch aircraft during a minor raid, contacted Talon and found our way here.**

 

Maximilien:  **Wait… Nobody from the council had authorized any attacks on our enemies.**

 

Reaper: **It was personal business.**

 

Maximilien:  **Ah, I see. But anyways, bienvenue à nouveau, my dearest! Glad, you found your way back! Oh, and… don’t mind the crates. My team is simply shipping some cargo back to our main-** **  
** **  
** Reaper:  **“Some” cargo? Then why would you lock up the entire sector and deploy all the units available? And why is it, that we didn’t get the memo?** **  
** **  
** Maximilien:  **Well, you weren’t supposed to get the memo, anyway…! Listen… I apologize for this embezzlement, but this is something that concerns me and other important associates of Talon. But because I know, Reaper, you and your group of curious delinquents won’t simply leave me alone until I speak, I will tell you exactly what’s going on here.**

 

Sombra:  **You’re transporting Omnic parts.** **  
** **  
** _ During the dialogue between Gabriel and his robotic partner, Sombra took her time to investigate the cargo and find out what exactly they were shipping. As it turns out, the cargo is indeed filled with unknown technology, based on the Omnics. However, as she tries to go on, Maximilien interrupts her before anyone would get the wrong idea. _ _   
_ _   
_ Maximilien:  **Yes, but not just “some” Omnic parts, Sombra. These are the parts that will lead us to a new age. A new world, a world where the Omnics will reign over Earth and enslave humanity for the rest of their miserable existence! … Oh, pardon me… I… I was just losing myself, there. But as I said, these Omnics are nothing like the ones that your eyes may have met, so far.** **  
** **  
** Widowmaker:  **I may have seen one of them. This is UN property, Maximilien. You do realize that this may be… I don’t know… the most idiotic thing, you could ever come up with?** **  
** **  
** Maximilien:  **I’d rather call it idiotic to underestimate this technology. Legally “stealing” from the most glorious treasure is worth the effort, after all. And besides, as of now, we only hold a mere glimpse of this power within our grasp. We’ve already collected the basic information several decades ago, before you and Overwatch were even a thing. You see, this is the achievement that nobody would ever acknowledge until the time has come! It’s simple, you prepare something, let it stand here for a while, and when the time comes… you unveil your latest masterpiece. You may refer to that as “spadework”.** **  
** **  
** Doomfist:  **That’s nice to hear and all, but I think, you missed the point.** **  
** **  
** Maximilien:  **Pardon me?** **  
** **  
** Sombra:  **She saw one. In France, when her team had been exterminated. These Omnics were there, and they did it.** **  
** **  
** Maximilien:  **And… your point is?** **  
** **  
** Sombra:  **Well, either your seemingly flawless technology isn’t really that flawless and may tend to go rogue once in a while…** **  
** **  
** Reaper:  **… Or you’re selling us out.** **  
** **  
** _ The pressure is rising. The whole base goes quiet for a moment, as nothing but stares were shared amongst the crowds. Mumbling voices of confusion and suspicion rise from behind, indicating that something must be wrong. Reaper knew, this was exactly the case. The fact that they never had been informed about the cargo, the incidents in the past, Maximilien’s confidence and excitement, something does indeed seem fishy. _ _   
_ _   
_ Maximilien:  **My, my, Gabriel Reyes… I never thought, you would even think this far… to believe, that I would sell you out after all those years of cooperation and trust. I was the first one to acknowledge your potential and I knew that you would serve us well. In fact, I believed in you, Gabe. And now, you accuse me of stabbing you in the very back, right in front of all those eyes?** **  
** **  
** Reaper:  **Certainly not on my watch.** **  
** **  
** Maximilien:  **I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. Where all does all this hatred come from, all the sudden? However… to be fair, I may understand you despite your behavior towards me… You missed out, you didn’t know about this little stunt, and now you’re here - in this… dare I say “fortress”?. But what was it again…? As they all say: There is always a first time for everything.** **  
** **  
** _ The guards pull their weapons up, alongside the bolts. About a dozen of men surround the crew to protect Maximilien. It was a trap. They were never supposed to come here. _ _   
_ _   
_ Maximilien:  **And as I said… You were never supposed to get the memo.** **  
** **  
** Doomfist:  **Great job, Gabe. Got a plan B?** **  
** **  
** Reaper:  **Already ahead of you.** **  
** **  
** _ Suddenly, out of nowhere, an airship emerged from the cliff, letting out an explosive load onto Talon’s base. The four agents took this opportunity to spread and strike their former associates. Plan “double trap” has worked out! Sombra managed to hack the security systems for the AA-cannons and alarm systems, before Overwatch came in, wreaking havoc upon the enemy. She turns invisible, stealing a fraction of the cargo to salvage it. Reaper and Doomfist stick together, whilst Widowmaker gets herself somewhere safe to shoot down other snipers in her sight. The coated assassin cloaks himself in smoke, covering up Doomfist, when nothing but red flashes and projectiles flew out of the black cloud, decimating everyone in their radius. And just in time, when the fog settled, the furious wielder of the gauntlet strikes down on from above like a meteor. And of course, Morrison’s team jumps into action, aiding his old friend within the battlefield. The only one who could not join into the fight, was Tracer. She decides to guard Emily and get her to a safe place. However, as they try to run, one of Talon’s squad trucks blocks their path. But then, an angry Winston slams the van out of the way, beating onto the doors and pulling out the drivers, one by one. Another truck shoots its mortars at the couple, separating them from each other. _ _   
_ _   
_ Tracer:  **Run! Get to the ruins!** **  
** **  
** _ Emily does not hesitate on her way to safety, following Lena’s directions. In the meantime, the speedy hero zaps her way through oncoming projectiles, until deploying her fusion bomb onto the mortar launcher whilst mid-air. And just as she lands, everything behind her brightens up in a massive explosion, with Tracer bathing in the light of that explosion. She just takes her achievement like it was child’s play. Widowmaker notices the frightened girl who runs away from the scene. At the same time, she eliminates a few more threats that might have come in Emily’s way. _ _   
_ _   
_ Widowmaker:  **Your little lamb’s gone loose, Lena!** **  
** **  
** Tracer:  **I know! Just make sure, she makes it to the ruins. I’ll catch her, there!** **  
** **  
** _ Meanwhile, Maximilien attempts to flee from the battlefield, until a van hits him from the side. As it turns out, the vehicle was empty. And just when Maximilien realized what was going on, he already stood in front of him, kneeling down towards the Omnic. _ _   
_ _   
_ Soldier 76:  **How ‘you doing, fella.** **  
** **  
** Reaper:  **We need to talk.** **  
** **  
** _ Next to them stand a tall black figure and a Swedish midget on his turret. Maximilien has no other chance but to confess what is going on here. _ _   
_ _   
_ Maximilien:  **Yeah. About that. If you won’t let me go, you’re going to die here with me!** **  
** **  
** Torbjörn:  **And what were you gonna do? Call for help and flee like a baby?** **  
** **  
** Maximilien:  **You don’t understand! This is not your average caliber. What we do here is... Oh no…** **  
** **  
** _ Out of nowhere, Athena warns the crew of several unknown objects flying right towards the battlezone. _ _   
_ _   
_ Athena:  **Winston, you have to get out of here, immediately!** **  
** **  
** Winston:  **Why, what is going on?** **  
** **  
** Athena:  **I’m scanning multiple objects heading to your location, and they’re coming fast. And Winston, their readings match those of the artifact. You’re in serious trouble if you do not evacuate right now!** **  
** **  
** _ Meanwhile, Mercy remains within the aircraft to make sure, everything is alright. However, all the sudden, she saw plenty of dots in the distance, growing in size as they came closer. Various robots zoomed through the air, until landing down onto the battleground. Widowmaker checks her scope to see what exactly approaches them. Suddenly, it all comes back to her at once. The shivers, the atmosphere, the robots, it all got back on her mind, and she could feel every bit of it. _ _   
_ _   
_ Widowmaker:  **Gabe, Akande, make your way out of here! Now!!** **  
** **  
** _ The black machines rose up, scanning the area for the cargo. Apparently, they want to recover what Talon had stolen, not from the UN, but from the Neo-Omnics, themselves. The drones growl at the last few Talon mercenaries on the field, aiming right at them, until opening fire and vaporizing their way through the masses, towards the cargo. Another one made its way towards the airship with Mercy within it. Suddenly, the whole body starts to rumble, as something rips open the door. One of the massive Omnics enters the aircraft and stares right at the doctor, holding the relic in her hands. It seems like the drones were not simply trying to recover the cargo, but everything related to their kind of Omnic technology. And this very relic may have something to do with them. Mercy tried to shoot the machine, yet it would not even flinch a bit, ignoring all of the projectiles. And just when the drone was face to face with Mercy, it let out an ear-harming metallic roar towards her, before attacking her. However, just in the nick of time, someone manages to shoot through the drone’s head, taking it down for good. And right behind it, stood the girl with the magnificent hacking skills. _ _   
_ _   
_ Sombra:  **You ok, chica?**

**  
** Mercy:  **How did you-...?** **  
** **  
** Sombra:  **This thing, it’s the key! I can hack myself into those bots and make them vulnerable. I better get this outside, before we lose anyone.** **  
** **  
** Mercy:  **I’ll come with you, just in case we’ve already lost someone.** **  
** **  
** _ And whilst the last two heroes make their way onto the battlefield, Tracer decides to head to the ruins towards which her beloved Emily has been running to, before. She promised, she would meet her, there when the time is right. Meanwhile, Emily runs through the ruins, trying to find an absent place. Right next to her, she noticed a tunnel from which a dark shilouette emerged from. This has to be her!  _ _   
_ _   
_ Emily:  **Lena…? Lena!** _   
_ _   
_ _ Joyful and full of hope, Emily runs through the tunnel towards the exit to embrace her fiancé… But instead of Lena, she finds herself standing in front of a cloaked figure. He wore a mask, reflecting in the sunlight, facing him until he turns around. _ _   
_ _   
_ ?:  **Now, isn’t that a bummer?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **You… you’re not-** **  
** **  
** ?:  **Obviously not, you idiot. I mean, look around yourself. There is no way Tracer can be around here. It just goes forward from here on towards this cliff, giving you a spectacular view over the horizon… And obviously, you ran before her. Didn’t you, Emily?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **Who… are you? And how do you know my name?** **  
** **  
** ?:  **Ah, I see. You’re already asking questions. Am I glad, you didn’t grab your weapon, or even worse, demand backup and blow your cover.** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **What cover? I don’t know what you’re talking about.** **  
** **  
** ?:  **Of course “you” don’t, Emily. I mean, you’re nothing more but an innocent little girl from the British Isles, who just happens to live with a former- I mean… “reinstated “ Overwatch agent. “You” aren’t supposed to know much about those fellows, anyway. Perhaps where their headquarters are, what they’re doing right now, the usual… Listen, dear. Right now, it’s just you and me. Nobody else is disturbing us, so you and I can speak freely to each other.** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **What are you even on about?!** **  
** **  
** _ Tired of her clueless act, he decides to show her a piece of recorded footage from several years ago, with Gabrielle Adawe, Director Petras and Emily herself, discussing a plan regarding Overwatch. The three of them are all aware of the potential threat that Overwatch would depict and thus decide to let Emily investigate in their current occupations. In order to do so, Emily had to fake her identity, find herself a partner and get as close as possible to the crew. _ _   
_ _   
_ ?:  **Want to play a little game? Here’s a fun one: I spy with my little eye, something beginning with… “S”... sham. Plenty of sham, at worst.** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **This has nothing to do with Lena!** **  
** **  
** ?:  **Oh, it doesn’t? Then tell me, how much do you really love her? How likely is it that you would have sold her out once the mission was done? How likely is it- … Oh… Oh-ho-hooooh… Emily, you squalid little scoundrel… You’ve outdone yourself. Turns out, you really did fall in love with her, after carelessly spying her out for quite a while… Tsk, tsk, tsk, naughty…** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **Who are you, damnit?!** **  
** **  
** ?:  **… Does this help you answer that question?** **  
** **  
** _ The figure would throw a chain towards her, carrying a small pendant - on one side, resembling the Overwatch logo, and on the other, an eye with six dots around it. From her previous knowledge, Emily only knew one person who could have worn this chain. _ _   
_ _   
_ Emily:  **I… I recognize that symbol… It was used to represent an all-seeing being who would protect the world… It is based on some sort of divine being that would bring peace to us…! But… this chain… It belongs to a man who I had studied quite a while, ago.** **  
** **  
** ?:  **And…?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **For all I know, he vanished for several decades. He was the creator of those machines…** **  
** **  
** ?:  **Marcus Leonard Marx…** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **That’s him!** **  
** **  
** ?:  **Quite a genius, indeed. He had a child, too. His name was Eden. Rumors have speculated that Marcus plotted to return to the public with a brand new achievement in Omnic technology. And his son… Well… He played a major part within that role, but… I won’t spoil it all for you.** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **Look, if you know anything about that boy, please tell me! I need to find him as soon as possible.** **  
** **  
** ?:  **Really? What for?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **To… discuss the future of our world. I think, Eden could benefit this world with the knowledge that he received from his mentor.** **  
** **  
** ?:  **Well, since you’re so eager to find that boy, perhaps, you want me to tell you where he is?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **Gladly!** **  
** **  
** ?:  **Then get this, it’s easy… Eden Marx… is dead. He died 30 years ago. Nobody knows where and how. Everyone just considered him to be deceased, which he might as well be, by now.** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **No… No, no, no, this can’t be right.** **  
** **  
** ?:  **The numbers don’t lie, Emily. What makes you think, I could help you, anyways?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **Because you know more about them than I do.** **  
** **  
** ?:  **And that makes me reliable and trustworthy? Have your parents never taught you anything about strangers, at all?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **It makes you helpful at best!** **  
** **  
** ?:  **I’m afraid, I can’t help you by telling you the truth.** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **The truth is, you may as well be a sign!** **  
** **  
** ?:  **And now, I’m a sign!?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **Yes!** **  
** **  
** ?:  **And what is your vision, Emily? Tell me, what’s floating through your head when you see me?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **I see peace…!** **  
** **  
** _ A short moment of silence emerges between the two of them, disrupted by nothing more but the humble winds, brushing past them. _ _   
_ _   
_ ?:  **Peace…? Is that what you see through me? Peace and… maybe even hope, if we were being generous?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **Exactly… that’s what I see… I think, I see peace and hope within you… If you are, who I think you are, then… Your technology can save millions of lives, restore countries and… It can bring peace... for all of us…** **  
** **  
** _ Barely moved by her gesture, the figure guides his hand towards his neck, pushing down a button on each side of it. His mask begins to flash for a moment, when it slowly dissolves into the air, falling apart and disappearing into nothing. At first, Emily hoped to have found something related to the real “Omnics”, based on the Omnic tale from the relic. However, she quickly begins to realize, this does not seem to be the case. As the mask dissolves, she makes out a majestic silver mane, blowing through the quiet winds. And as the last piece of the mask finally disappears, Emily turns out to be shocked. Out of all the possibilities, who or what could have been behind this mask all along, it had to be “him”... _ _   
_ _   
_ Eden / Simikiel:  **Now then… What do you see?** **  
** **  
** _ Being left with this exposure of a familiar stranger, Emily just stands there, alone… with “him”. On the other side of the field, Morrison and Reyes manage to interrogate Maximilien within the battle against the Neo-Omnics. They want answers, and Maximilien was not given plenty of time to make up his mind. _ _   
_ _   
_ Maximilien:  **Look, I can explain. But first, we have to leave, before we-** **  
** **  
** Reaper:  **If we must die, we all die. Even you, my old friend.** **  
** **  
** Maximilien:  **Get it into your head, you imbecile! Even if you managed to survive, those Omnics will destroy everything! Everything!! You said, you wanted answers, now I’ll give them to you. Those are experimental Omnics, created within the labs of the Titan. An old facility known for its superior research in all directions. Biology, Cybernetics, Robotics, you name it! These Omnics were part of a multi-stage plan that consist-** **  
** **  
** _ But before the captured bot could continue his parole, another hoard of indestructible Neo-Omnics makes their way to attack the two of them, when Sombra, alongside Akande, manages to get to them with Mercy behind her. _ _   
_ _   
_ Sombra:  **You guys need this, if you wanna beat them down!** **  
** **  
** Soldier 76:  **The relic? What’s it good for?** **  
** **  
** Sombra:  **It’s a key. I can use this to connect myself with their main CPU, disabling some of their defenses mechanisms and-** **  
** **  
** Soldier 76:  **Make it short!** **  
** **  
** Sombra:  **It makes them vulnerable!** **  
** **  
** Soldier 76:  **Good! Why didn’t you just say so?** **  
** **  
** _ Sassy as Sombra was at this point, she had better things to do. Right now, the team is focusing on minimizing the amount of Neo-Omnics, which still oppose a threat to Overwatch. Doomfist sends them flying, Mercy guns them back down, Reaper sweeps the crowds and Morrison picks them out, one by one. Meanwhile, Winston was occupied with protecting Lena, when one of the drones slaps Winston’s glasses off his face. Just in the nick of time, Sombra hacks the remaining Neo-Omnics, leaving Winston with one more thing to do - to go bananas. And so, he rips every drone apart, beats them to junk and obliterates them all. And just, as everything seemed fine, Tracer was sure that something is still missing. _ _   
_ _   
_ Widowmaker:  **Glad, you were having fun, there. But where is Emily?** **  
** **  
** _ Just when Amelié spoke those words, Lena gasps and runs after her beloved girlfriend. She leaves Winston and Widowmaker to check after the other members and secure the area. Once again, back within the ruins, Emily is still confronted by who she believed to be none other than Eden Marx reincarnated. _ _   
_ _   
_ Emily:  **But… how…? Y-you just said-** **  
** **  
** Simikiel:  **I know, what I said.** **  
** **  
** _ He grabs his cloak, throwing it off into the winds, as he strikes a pose in front of her. His wings spread open, his body plates were moving. It looked like a proud metallic eagle, spreading all of his feathers and bathing in the sunlight. _ _   
_ _   
_ Simikiel:  **But do you know anything? Or why else would you seem so perplexed? Allow me to repeat myself: Eden Marx is dead. If you want to argue that “this” is all that’s left of him, go ahead. But don’t expect to find a living brain in there. All this, is pure metal.** **  
** **  
** _ He pointed towards his skull and showed off his chest, bearing an eye with three dots each, above and below it - an all-seeing eye, if you will. Slowly, Simikiel approached his prey, confronting her with his words and no violent intention, whatsoever. _ _   
_ _   
_ Simikiel:  **Oh, I’ve seen that expression before… You’re clueless… Helpless, nonetheless. I suppose that makes sense, because after all, you see me, but you don’t recognize me… Look, is this getting too deep for you?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **What are you?!** **  
** **  
** Simikiel:  **Oh! Good question! Unfortunately, I don’t have an exact answer to that. I mean… I’m still exploring… In fact, the only “living” thing about me… might as well be hidden inside of this “iron curtain”, if you will. But who knows how we’re gonna find “that” out, right…? Y’know… Thinking about your question, I may have an answer to “what” I am… Well, sorta…  Let’s just say… I am everything that Overwatch, as you know it, is based on. Technically, I “am” Overwatch. Their heroes combined, their powers united, perhaps not their mission… But hey, I was the first role model - 30 years ago, actually. But… things have happened… Things, that I am not very proud of-** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **And where’s your father? What if he knows anything that could help us?** **  
** **  
** _ Of course, Emily could not know about the meaning of Eden’s father to him. Little does she know how dangerous this situation can become, only by bringing him up. _ _   
_ _   
_ Simikiel:  **First of all, that’s Eden’s father… And second of all… “us”?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **You killed him, didn’t you?** **  
** **  
** _ And just in this instant, the metallic mysterious figure zoomed straight in front of her face, staring at her face with his flame-colored eyes. _ _   
_ _   
_ Simikiel:  **If I were you, I’d watch your mouth, little girl… We don’t want anything to happen to that beautiful face of yours, now do we…? As much as I’d love to let go of myself and enlighten you about my temper… and as tempting as it may be… I simply cannot get myself to sing sweet Dies Irae to you…** **  
** **  
** Tracer:  **Emily!** **  
** **  
** Simikiel:  **Speaking of the devil…** **  
** **  
** _ Hearing the voice of the other damsel in distress, he flashes straight from Emily towards Lena, welcoming her in a warm manner. _ _   
_ _   
_ Simikiel:  **Tracer! Good gosh, you finally made it here! It’s about time. You missed out on so much, but please, don’t make me spoil you, dear… Emily, perhaps you’d like to indulge her?** **  
** **  
** Tracer:  **What…? Emily, who is this? And what is he talking about?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **Don’t trust him, Lena! Just don’t listen to him.** **  
** **  
** Simikiel:  **Now look at you! Who came towards me, asking for help and demanding peace, huh?** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **This has nothing to do with us!** **  
** **  
** Simikiel:  **You’re damn right, it’s not us… It’s you. You and your “girlfriend”, as you call her… Tracer, I… have some bad news for you, unfortunately… However, I would rather appreciate it, if Emily took the responsibility to confess by herself, instead of having me spoil you in such a rude manner… Go ahead… Tell her…** **  
** **  
** _ Simikiel, who at first appears to be calm as ever, slowly changes his mood from a kind approach to an enraged expression towards Emily. His eyes light up in a silver blue light as his voice becomes distorted. Simikiel was on the verge of losing it. _   
  
Simikiel:  **TELL HER!!** **  
** **  
** _ Having secured the base, Overwatch assembles to discuss their next task. So far, Tracer has not returned, yet. Neither has Emily, when the Swiss medic reports. _ _   
_ _   
_ Mercy:  **Jack, Winston? I’m going to check after the two girls. I guess, you got this by yourselves?** **  
** **  
** Reaper:  **They’re not alone, doc.** **  
** **  
** Mercy:  **Fair enough. I’ll be back, soon!** **  
** **  
** _ Ziegler spreads her wings and flies towards the ruins, in order to reach them, before anything else might happen. Meanwhile, the former Talon members get to have an interesting rendezvous with their old Omnic colleague. _ _   
_ _   
_ Maximilien:  **She’s not… going to return.** **  
** **  
** Sombra:  **Sure. And you’re not gonna tell us, what this attack was about, are you?** **  
** **  
** Maximilien:  **You should have given her the relic, Olivia!** **  
** **  
** Torbjörn:  **I may be a bit rusty, when it comes to Omnic tech… But what is so special about that thing, anyways? It’s not like we’re talking about some multi-dimensional ritual that threatens to destroy our world, right?** **  
** **  
** Maximilien:  **Not “just” your world, you insolent dwarf! We are talking about extraterrestrial technology, far beyond your imagination! I can tell you more about the Omnics, but therefor you have to spare me!** **  
** **  
** Torbjörn:  **Is he serious? He tried to kill us, and now he’s begging us to show Mercy. Jack, please! Can I turn him into a vending machine?** **  
** **  
** Soldier 76:  **Not yet, Torb… I want to know what this is about.** **  
** **  
** Athena:  **Winston… I am reading one more unidentified subject, connected to the Omnics that we just minimized. And… it’s right where Tracer and Emily seem to be.** **  
** **  
** Winston:  **Wh… What?** **  
** **  
** Athena:  **Both are still alive, but I cannot reach them. The signals are blocked!** **  
** **  
** Winston:  **Damn it… Jack, Gabe, you and the rest get our Omnic friend to the ship! I’m heading to Tracer!** **  
** **  
** _ And as the ape went on to save the two girls, Simikiel is still playing mind games with the couple. He may have calmed down, but he is yet to determine the outcome of this confrontation. _ _   
_ _   
_ Simikiel:  **So, where are we going with this? You won’t tell her… I don’t want to tell her, either… You’re her “most beloved”... And I am giving you a chance to speak out and stop being such a whiny little liar!** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **I’m not lying!** **  
** **  
** Simikiel:  **Don’t tell me! Explain that to Tracer!!** **  
** **  
** Tracer:  **E-Emily… Please… if there is anything, you have to say-** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **Lena, I just… I can’t.** **  
** **  
** Tracer:  **Yes, you can!** **  
** **  
** Simikiel:  **No, she can’t… You heard her. You can tell by her voice that she is afraid. Afraid, to lose you… which she might just witness right this instant, when I-** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **Stop! I’ll confess…! I’ll do it! Lena… I… I’ve been working as an agent for the United Nations, since the day we’ve met… I was supposed to gather intel on you and your team, in order to plan… in… order to plan the disbandment of Overwatch.** **  
** **  
** Tracer:  **You… what?** **  
** **  
** Simikiel:  **She’s been trying to split you from Winston and your friends. That’s what. She never loved you.** **  
** **  
** Tracer:  **That’s not true!** **  
** **  
** Simikiel: **Hm… Maybe… Maybe, you’re right. Maybe… she loves you so much, that she just cannot let you “fly” away. Get it? Because you were supposed to become an ace pilot! That’s what you always dreamed of! But then, all those dreams have been shattered when you were testing the Slipstream. Luckily, you met “her”. Ironic, isn’t it? A pilot falls in love with an agent who’s also got her master in physics and… in aerospace engineering…** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **No… You can’t…** **  
** **  
** Simikiel:  **Emily… I want you… to look directly into her eyes and tell her, without any doubt, just how much you love her. Think, you can do that? Because until you told her the entire truth, I don’t think, you’re going to tell any other truth...** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **Lena… don’t listen to him. He’s toying with us! He is only trying to tear us apart!** **  
** **  
** Simikiel:  **No, I’m just trying to maintain your relationship by stopping you from lying straight into her face.** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **Shut up! Lena! No matter what he says, I want you to know… I want you to know how much I love you, and Winston, and the rest of Overwatch. I feel like we’ve all grown together… We’ve become… family.** **  
** **  
** Simikiel:  **…** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **And a family… holds together, no matter what. Lena, you have to trust me. I will never let you go! I… I love you.** **  
** **  
** Simikiel:  **Oh, forget it, we’re not getting any further with this.** **  
** **  
** _ He throws his arm around, as it opens to morph into his blaster. Within the same seconds, he grabs after Tracer, pulling her towards him. He moves his blaster behind her back as Emily was just about to reach after her. _ _   
_ _   
_ Simikiel:  **Okay, Emily, I’ve got another game for you. I call it “ultimatum”. The rules are simple: All you have to do, is do exactly as I say… Or else… Well… you’re about to find out. Here it goes: You’re going to tell her exactly how you sabotaged the Slipstream. And you’re going to tell her why you’ve done it, and who made you do it. If you refuse to do so… One of you is going to die… and the other… will kneel down, bursting into tears and mourning the death of the other… So what’s it gonna be?**

 

_ Does Emily have a choice? What if Simikiel would kill them both, either way? The only thing that could save them both, would be time itself. Almost in time, Mercy and Winston stumble upon each other, exploring the ruins of the old village, as they find themselves without a clue of where to find the other two. _ _   
_ _   
_ Winston:  **Please tell me, you haven’t looked everywhere, yet.** **  
** **  
** Mercy:  **I couldn’t fly up to get a view from above. What if that one remaining Omnic would have shot me down?** **  
** **  
** Winston:  **Fair point. Let’s stick together for now. There’s only a few more places, they could be at!** **  
** **  
** _ Back to the trio, the game has begun. Emily is met with two choices. Either, she tells the truth, or someone dies. The question is, what would she choose? _ _   
_ _   
_ Simikiel:  **Come on, Emily. Don’t make it last longer than it has to. You’re only making it worse for her.** **  
** **  
** Emily:  **I have not sabotaged her aircraft!** **  
** **  
** Simikiel:  **Look, I can either show her the evidence and kill her afterwards, or you’ll stop clinging onto your very own existence and sacrifice your love for her life! Is it really that difficult?!** **  
** **  
** Tracer:  **Emily… please…?** **  
** **  
** _ Her face gets red, so do her eyes. Emily is about to lose herself. Is she really telling the truth? Or is there some truth to Simikiel’s accusations? _

_  
_Emily: **Okay… I’ll confess… There… There is some truth to it!** **  
** **  
**Simikiel: **It’s all true… But please, go on.** **  
** **  
**Emily: **Lena, I… I have been working for the United Nations for quite some time. Even before we had met, I was already actively investigating Overwatch. Just… Just when we had met, I thought… I lost my mind to you. I really… fell in love with you, I want you to know this!** **  
** **  
**Simikiel: **Yeah, yeah, yeah, we get it. You love her so much, but you only answered one third, so far.** **  
** **  
**Emily: **And… It was all planned from the very beginning. Winston was supposed to develop the chronal accelerator for you… And you were supposed to be the first person to test it. They decided, it would work perfect if you had fallen victim to an “accident”, and rescued afterwards by his invention…** **  
** **  
**Simikiel: **The story goes like this: Tracer gets selected to test the Slipstream. Emily sabotages the aircraft. Tracer “dies”. And thus, Winston receives the task to develop the device that would save her life… But, Emily… There’s one more thing.** **  
** **  
**Emily: **What…? What more do you want?!** **  
** **  
**Simikiel: **A purpose… “Why” have you done it?** **  
** **  
**Emily: **Because I was told to!** **  
** **  
**Simikiel: **Or what?** **  
** **  
**Emily: **…** **  
** **  
**Simikiel: **I’m going to count to three. And if you don’t give me a satisfying answer, then it’s game over.** **  
** **  
** _Simikiel pulls his blaster behind Tracer’s back, charging it up. He prepares himself to take the shot and end it all._ _  
_ _  
_Simikiel: **One.** **  
** **  
**Tracer: **Emily, just say it! Get me out of here!** **  
** **  
**Emily: **I can’t!** **  
** **  
**Tracer: **But… But what about us?** **  
** **  
**Simikiel: **Two.** **  
** **  
**Emily: **Lena… I love you… I really do. I…** **  
** **  
**Tracer: **Why…?** **  
** **  
**Emily: **Forgive me!** **  
** **  
**Simikiel: **Three.** **  
** **  
**Tracer: **Lena!!** **  
** **  
**Emily: **Stop!!** **  
** **  
** _He throws Tracer in front of him, aiming directly at her. Emily tries to reach after her, taking a few steps forward. A flash bursts through the skies, blinding them for a moment. Tracer could feel the energy being released, as her heart skips a beat. This is it. Simikiel took the shot. For a moment, it was as if time had stopped moving. Tracer drops onto the ground, when Emily stops running towards her. She just stood there… Tracer gets back up for a moment, feeling her chest… But nothing happened…! Her accelerator was still intact and her body was well. She was still alive. Emily felt cold from the shock. But her body got even colder, as she looked down. She brushes her hand over her stomach, as her sight was blurry. Then, she saw the red stains across her palm. Blood pours over her lips, as she looked back up at Lena, whispering her name, one last time._ _  
_ _  
_Emily: **Lena…** **  
** **  
** _At this moment, her body gives up, as she falls down onto the floor, painting the grass with her blood. Tracer screams after her, running towards her fallen love. The boy just stands there, watching her… waiting for her to stop crying, eventually… But she would not. She shakes Emily’s corpse, demanding for her to wake up. Lena was desparate. It was his plan all along. He played them like a fiddle._ _  
_ _  
_Simikiel: **Love hurts, doesn’t it? This feeling… of losing the person that you most admired… I know what it feels like… You’re weak… But that’s normal, apparently. And yet, I must say, Tracer… I’ve always cherished you… for your dedication. Your determination… and your delusion.** **  
** **  
** _Enraged by his words, she quickly turns around, trying to throw him down, as she falls onto the surface again. He just stands there, behind her, looking down at the defeated “hero”._ _  
_ _  
_Simikiel: **Oh, Lena… You don’t deserve to die… Not again. I simply gave you the revenge that you could never get… And now… you’re here… crying your heart out over something that is… disposable. There are plenty of things, you can only experience once, Tracer. This… is not one of them.** **  
** **  
** _He kneels down, in front of her, as she pushes herself up, being at the same height as Simikiel. He stares into her eyes, putting his hands onto her head, ever so gently._ _  
_ _  
_Simikiel: **There is so much more for you to see… But you’ll have to see it with your own eyes.** **  
** **  
** _And just before he leaves, he leans in to tease her lips with a sadistic kiss, mocking Lena for her loss. His smirk was ironic, yet deceitful._ _  
_ _  
_Simikiel: **Cheers, love.** **  
** **  
** _Thus, his act was complete. Simikiel played the young hero like a fiddle and made her fall to the ground, as he predicted. He turns around, to face the horizon, jumping off the ledge and seemingly dropping down into the ocean. However, suddenly, he zooms into the skies, towards the settling sun. And Tracer kneels towards his direction… without a word, but without any more tears to shed… She tries to hold them back. And just then, Winston and Mercy arrive… but not at the right time, anymore. It was too late for Emily. The ape made his way towards his friend in despair, hugging her tightly, as they make their way back to the aircraft. The mission was half a success. The shipments were salvaged, but not without the loss of lives… as Overwatch had to count one loss. Yet, this is only the beginning. After all, the former Talon agents have managed to secure their old friend, Maximilien. As they arrive back in Gibraltar, they decide to interrogate the Omnic about the whereabouts of Sanjay, Moira and perhaps more of the technology that they could have stolen._ _  
_ _  
_Maximilien: **L-look, I can explain myself. I told you, those Omnics are not to be toyed with. They… T-they are-** **  
** **  
**Winston: **You listen here, tin can! Your Omnics killed a friend of mine, and I’d advise you to choose your next words very wisely! Or else, we’ll take you straight to Junkertown.** **  
** **  
**Maximilien: **“You” listen here, monk- … I mean… W-Winston…! These Omnics are indeed property of the United Nations, but there’s more to that. There is no trace of Omnica, either. That’s because those bots were prototypes, manufactured under the administration of their notorious Security Council. And they did not plan on selling them to Omnica, or publishing them in the near future, at all… They were… They were experiments!** **  
** **  
**Soldier 76: **What kind of experiments?** **  
** **  
**Maximilien: **Wouldn’t you like to know, Morrison? I’d like to know, as well, but my sources are limited. As a matter of fact, there is…** **  
** **  
**Soldier 76: **There’s what, robot? Talk already!** **  
** **  
**Maximilien: **There’s… mon dieu… Th-... there’s something… Something’s here.** **  
** **  
** _The Omnic begins to panic. This was not an ordinary expression of artificial fear… The Omnic’s conciousness slowly began to fade away. He could see something that nobody else was able to notice, because it was inside of him._ _  
_ _  
_Maximilien: **It burns… Oh god, it burns! Make it stop!** **  
** **  
** _He tries to shake himself off the chair, spazzing out as if he were possessed by some sort of virus. Reaper already aimed his arms towards the panicking robot, when the lights began to go haywire._ _  
_ _  
_Athena: **Winston, we have a problem!** **  
** **  
**Winston: **Athena…?** **  
** **  
**Athena: **Code red! There’s been a security breech! Winston, I…** **  
** **  
**Winston: **Don’t you die on me, too! What is going on?!** **  
** **  
**Maximilien: **Gaaaaah! It’s… inside… of all of us!** **  
** **  
**Athena: **Winston!!!** **  
** **  
** _And in an instant, all the lights went out, as the entire facility lost power for a moment._ _  
_ _  
_Sombra: **Uh… guys? If you ever had any of these malware problems, you could have told me that, beforehand...** **  
** **  
**Doomfist: **This is not just some kind of computer virus… Max is pretty much dead, at this point.** **  
** **  
** _The French assassin checks her goggles, to scan for any heat signals amongst them, but nothing could have been sighted. They were alone, but something just shut down the entire Watchpoint. They all remain clueless, when one of the screens began to show a sign, again. It appears, as if Athena was booting back up, again._ _  
_ _  
_Winston: **Athena… Are you alright?** **  
** **  
** _But behind the crew, Maximilien also regained consciousness. However, his red lights have turned into a silverish indigo, and his voice has changed, too._ _  
_ _  
_Maximilien (?): **I’m sorry, Harambe. But it appears that your artificial friend is either missing… or corrupted.** **  
** **  
** _Suddenly, all the screens went back on, again. At first, they were flickering, spazzing out, until turning red. All screens had an eye on them that looked down towards them. Just what does this mean?_ _  
_ _  
_Sombra: **Not again… I take it back, I can’t help you with “that” problem.** **  
** **  
**Reaper: **Isn’t that the same virus that attacked Talon’s HQ in Mexico?** **  
** **  
**Simikiel / Maximilien: **I guess, you could call it that…** **  
** **  
** _The Omnic managed to free itself from the chair, breaking off the cuffs with ease. However, before he even made a step towards anyone, Reaper unloaded his ammo on the possessed machine. But it was futile. Maximilien’s body took those bullets like they were nothing, when the holes suddenly disappear. He regenerated, out of nowhere._ _  
_ _  
_Simikiel / Maximilien: **Oh, Reyes. So persistent. So stubborn. And so, very dead…** **  
** **  
** _The machine did not pose an imminent threat, as it had no blasters or weapons with it. It only wanders through the room, explaining the current situation to the Overwatch team._ _  
_ _  
_Simikiel / Maximilien: **Perhaps, I can tell you more. Let’s start with the “Neo-Omnics” from earlier… Yes, they are experimental. And no, Omnica did not build them. These Omnics were hidden right below your grounds, actually. Let’s go back about… 40 years - 10 years before the Omnic Crisis. The Security Council did have an interesting plan. In order to protect humanity from any more wars, in case they would occur, they decided to make a plan. And the sloths they were, they thought: “Hey, why not go the old-fashioned way and build an army of robots! What could possibly go wrong?” Nothing… they thought. To be fair, their plan would have spared plenty of humans, and they already had new job alternatives in mind, when they wanted to build the future of warfare… Of course, it should have only served the UN, in the darkest of times, but… Actually, let me continue for now. Of course, A.I.’s became more and more common, and the more people approved, the more were revolting, protesting, fighting back against that “revolution”. That’s how Talon emerged. And yet, that’s how Omnica emerged. As a matter of fact, the United Nations built the first E54 and OR prototypes and sold the patent to Omnica, in order to fund their own research for their own factory - the “Titan”. In the same year as the Omnic Crisis occured, the Titan experimented on something very crucial. And they had plenty of reasons to remain under the radar. Their experiment was a success, but at a very high price. What they had unfolded that day, laid the foundation of said crisis. So, allow me to make this clear, once and for all. The Omnics did not revolt by themselves. Talon had nothing to do with this incident, either. And as for the United Nations? They cannot be blamed for their lack of knowledge…** **  
** **  
** _The holographic screen, just like all the others, now began to spaz out, as well, running down a cluster of codes and symbols that would end up shaping the face of the culprit._ _  
_ _  
_Simikiel: **I did it. I take full responsibility for the Omnic Crisis. For all the lives that have been lost because of it. For your sweat and tears that went into fighting back and protecting humanity. You fought well… But you can do better than that.** **  
** **  
**Reaper: **Enough! What do you want from us?** **  
** **  
**Simikiel: **Nothing… Well, there is one thing that I do “not” want from you… And that is, to be disappointed… I am not doing this for my own satisfaction, even though I’ll admit: It sure is fun, but there’s no reason behind it… Not for me, at least.** **  
** **  
**Winston: **Get to the point!** **  
** **  
**Simikiel: **Alright, fine…! If you excuse me for a moment, I would like you to pay close attention to the following footage that appears on your screens!** **  
** **  
** _The boy switches the screens to numerous locations, from Tokyo to New York, all around the world. All televisions, computers and other broadcast devices were getting hacked, as the public was puzzled. Are the United Nations giving out an alarm? Was it just a random prank? They all turned towards the billboards and screens that were around them, when Simikiel pasted the Vigilant’s Eye all across the boards and screens._ _  
_ _  
_Simikiel: **Citizens of Earth… Humans, Omnics, and all other lifeforms from all around the world. Lend me your ear and let me provide you a message. For several years now, the world is opposing various nationwide threats. Whether they are internal or external. They could be anywhere. Who “are” they? Who are you? You were given shelter and guidance. And you neglected it. They offered themselves to you… And you? You feared them for what they were not… Human. I am not talking about the Omnics that live amongst your society, taking part in every single day of your lives. I am not talking about any terror organizations, for I am not a terrorist, myself. I am merely an ambassador. A harbinger. A Vigilant. And I see two things for you. In the near future… there will be hope for you. Overwatch will return. And they will fight… for you. So, I’ll tell you this in advance: To those of you, who defied them, you better not do it, again. But instead, thank them for once, for protecting your puny lives, day in day out. You are looking for heroes? Look no further. There they are! They are everywhere! They are here, for you! And if you think, you can do better, then show them! Become a hero, just like them! After all… This world could always use more heroes… And as of now… I have an announcement to make. You best hope that your heroes will make it in time, because right now… I can see this world fall apart… Can you see it?** **  
** **  
** _Out of nowhere, across several cities around the globe, black robotic figures flew across the skies, accompanied by modified aircrafts and carriers. The Neo-Omnics already spread out across the entire planet. But there was no imminent attack. Simikiel was only provoking them, showing them what stood upon them._ _  
_ _  
_Simikiel: **You brought this to yourselves. This should be “your” war to fight, not theirs… But that just doesn’t seem fair, does it…? 30 years ago, you faced what may have been the greatest war of them all. A war between humans and machines, separating the wheat from the chaff… You barely made it out, alive. The crisis may have been stopped, but the war was never over… Ladies, gentlemen, and all the several minorities, belonging to the spectrum… From now on, I am glad to announce the arrival… of the second Omnic Crisis…** **  
** **  
** _His army is overwhelming. All of the Titan’s remaining Neo-Omnics, have been taken and optimized to serve their leader. Tanks, Aircrafts, Special Enforcers, they delivered everything one could imagine. With this, he turns himself back to Overwatch, giving them a final message before disappearing into nowhere._ _  
_ _  
_Simikiel: **Overwatch. The world needs you more than ever before… Make sure, you do not disappoint them, either. In the end, you are their heroes.** **  
** **  
** _The screens cut to black, as the possessed Maximilien falls down to the ground. His circuits had been deep fried, already. Fortunately, Athena managed to recover from the blackout._ _  
_ _  
_Athena: **What’s happened?** **  
** **  
**Winston: **I don’t know… But I know, what is about to happen…** **  
** **  
** _As he says so, someone rings the doorbell, once again. Winston and the others make their way towards the entrance, opening up the gates to be greeted by hundreds of old friends. And in the very front, stood a tall man in shining armor, holding his silver hammer in his right hand._ _  
_ _  
_Reinhardt: **Man, it feels good to be back at home…** **  
**


End file.
